Mass Fiction
by Sypher
Summary: A collection of oneshots involving Shepard's team as they try to co-exist aboard the Normandy with laughs, tears, drama and friendship.  Underlining vibes of Tali X M/shep Rated M for language, mostly Jack's
1. Welcome to Deck 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

After recently playing through Mass Effect 2…again… I got a few ideas stuck in my head. We all know how Shepard and the crew interact, but outside of a few cut scenes we really don't see how the different members of the ground team get along with each other. The following will be a collection of oneshots involving Shepard's team as they try to co-exist aboard the Normandy with laughs, tears, drama and friendship.

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 1: Welcome to Deck 4**

Tali had been hesitant at first, hesitant to join a Cerberus ship and wary of having to work with their people. Despite Shepard assuring her that he was in charge she was less than willing to believe that the organization could be kept on a leash. Even by someone as…capable…as Shepard.

Still, the crew wasn't all that bad. Gabby and Ken were very nice and after getting to know them she found they had joined because of Shepard, just like her. Kelly was another who had dispelled her notions of what Cerberus was. She was polite, chipper and knew more about quarians than any human she had ever met. The other human, Jacob, was another story. He wasn't rude or antagonistic, but something about him "rubbed her the wrong way" as the humans say.

Then of course there was Miranda whose calculating and business-like manner reminded her of her father. She didn't trust the Cerberus lieutenant and she was going to keep an eye on her. It was Shepard's job to play nice, it was her job to watch his back. It was those sentiments that had her down in the ships bowels removing the fifth listening bug she had found so far.

"Come on you bosh'tet," Tali swore as she grasped for the device just beyond her reach. This one had been tricky as it was wedged next to one of the venting pipes using the heat to hide its thermal signature from scans. Judging from its location, they must have built the ship around it because it seemed unrealistic that any human could have placed it into the narrow confines of where it was now, a Hanar maybe, but definitely not something with fingers.

"Almost got it," Tali said as she stood on her toes trying not to fall off the cot she found herself perched on.

Tali's work was interrupted by the sounds of heavy boots trudging down the stairwell to the hold she was in.

"_Well it doesn't sound like Miranda," _Tali thought being able to recognize the telltale clack of the Cerberus officers heels a mile away.

If it wasn't Miranda then she could just lie to whatever member of the crew showed up about what she was doing here. She doubted that everyone was privileged to the information that the Normandy was bugged from bow to stern. Continuing her efforts to dislodge the stubborn device, she ignored the steps that grew closer by the second.

"What the fuck are you doing," an angry voice screamed nearly causing Tali to fall off her perch, the sound of an unfolding weapon warning her of this new intruder's intention.

With her hands hidden from view by the Normandy's water pipes, Tali activated her contingency plan from a few quick taps to her omni tool. Immediately, Chiktikka sprung from her hiding spot behind some crates and sent an electrical shock straight into Tali's assailants back.

"Fucking drone," Jack screamed as her biotics flared, sending poor Chiktikka shattering against the wall. The momentary diversion allowed Tali enough time to pull out her shotgun, wheel around and meet the angry voice face to face.

She had only been on the ship for a couple of days, much of her time spent in Engineering getting familiar with the new drive core. She had not really met everyone on the ground team yet, especially those who lived on Deck four that all tended to keep to themselves. She had heard stories about the woman in front of her from Ken and Gabby. A small woman with a shaved head, wearing little more than tattoos with a bad temper and burning hatred for Cerberus, Gabby's description was spot on.

"I didn't come down here to fight," Tali said trying to defuse the situation.

"Well that's too bad, because you got one now bitch," Jack sneered.

"I have a shotgun," Tali said weapon trained on Jack's head.

"Mine's bigger," Jack said, her lips curling in a cruel smirk.

The two stood looking each other over for a few tense seconds, Jack getting a better look at who was in front of her.

"By the three fingers and chicken legs I guess you're not Cerberus," Jack said, gun still pointed at Tali's chest.

"No I'm not, my name is Tali' Zorah vas…"

"I don't care who the fuck you are. I don't know you and in my book that makes you the enemy," Jack said with a harsh glare.

"Look," Tali said lowering her gun, "I don't work for Cerberus and I know you obviously don't. They would love to have us at each other's throats instead of keeping an eye on them," Tali reasoned seeing Jack slightly lower her weapon.

"We have to watch out for each other if we're going to be part of the same team," Tali said folding her shotgun. "Shepard is my friend; I'm here because he asked for my help. You at least seem to trust him, so believe me when I say we are on the same side."

Jack mulled the idea over in her head. Shepard did let her see the files she wanted and so far he had done right by her. She knew it would just be a matter of time before he turned on her like all the others, but for now she had promised to be good.

"God you sound just like fucking Shepard," Jack said rolling her eyes, tossing her gun onto the cot and sitting on a crate. "You gonna try to get me to talk about my feelings so we can all have our periods together too? Do you guys even get periods," Jack asked scratching her head.

"What? I…no…I mean…I'm not here to talk about your feelings," Tali stammered uncomfortably. "I was trying to remove the listening device they installed down here when you…"

"The what," Jack snarled, blue energy rippling over her skin.

"There'a a listening device wedged between the thermal exhaust pipes," Tali said pointing to the space above Jack's bed.

Jack was up in an instant, pushing Tali aside and standing on her bed peering into the network of pipes with a glowing blue hand as a makeshift flashlight.

"Do you think you can get it," Tali asked.

"Oh yeah," Jack said grinning.

"Good," Tali said bringing up her omni-tool, "once it's out I can reprogram it. Just try not to break…"

***CRUNCH***

"it," Tali said her arms falling to her sides.

Pulling her hand back, Jack deposited the remains of the transmitter unceremoniously on the floor in a heap, a satisfied smirk on her face.

"You broke it," Tali said dumbfounded.

"Yeah, so what? Isn't that what you were going to do," Jack said flopping down on her cot.

"I was going to reprogram it to only send recordings of background noise. If it's broken then they'll just send someone to replace it," Tali said exasperated.

"I'd like to see those assholes try," Jack said cracking her knuckles. "No one on this ship is dumb enough to come down here except for maybe Shepard…and you."

"Well…I'm glad that the bug is at least taken care of," Tali said unsure if she had just been insulted or not.

"Yeah it was a real fun time," Jack said picking up a data pad from the floor, "now leave."

Tali headed back upstairs irritated not only by the woman she had just met but having to clean out bugs to prevent someone from spying on her in her own engineering bay.

"_Shepard will want to know about the bugs. They probably have them in his cabin as well," _Tali thought to herself heading for the elevator.

Pressing the button for deck three, she figured to check the crew deck first and if he wasn't there he was probably in the CIC. The doors nearly shut before a massive hand prevented them, the metal groaning slightly as they were forcibly pushed open by one of the biggest Krogan she had ever seen…and she had seen Wrex.

The Krogan seemed to eye her over before snorting and lumbering inside, Tali moving over to accommodate the enormous lizard.

"Quarian…not quite as soft as the rest but still weak," Grunt said not looking at Tali but more or less talking to the corridor in front of them.

"Excuse me," Tali said her hand resting on her hip.

"The tank has imprints for your species," Grunt said staring down at her. "Weak immune systems make you a liability on the battlefield. You lost your home and your honor in battle and now fight everyday to regain what you lost. It is a…noble cause but your weakness will deny you victory."

Tali wasn't even sure how to respond to that when they were interrupted by a gruff sigh. Turning, she saw an older human in yellow armor with a jagged scar across his face looking rather annoyed by the lack of space in the elevator due mostly impart because of the Krogan.

"Nevermind," Zaeed said turning back to the recycling center, "I'll head up later."

The doors shut but the man's voice could still be heard by Tali's audio processors.

"Goddamn Krogan looks bigger than ever. What the fuck is Shepard feeding it?"

"_That does it," _Tali thought rubbing at her faceplate, _"I am never leaving engineering."_

**The collection really won't have any chronological order to them but I'll let you know where we are in the game though dialogue or narration. If you have any people you would like to see then by all means drop me a review and a suggestion. As far as pairing goes I won't be doing any rehash of the Shepard and Tali romance but it will be mentioned by Tali or other characters like Kasumi and it will be used as a plot point for a chapter or two. Until next time read and review people.**


	2. Black and White

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 2: Black and White**

Kasumi hummed a soft tune as she strolled through the crew deck, quietly laughing to herself as those around her turned to the source of the humming only to find nothing there. She had been on the Normandy for nearly three weeks and the crew still had difficulty with her presence on the ship. Oh, they knew she was aboard, but her exact whereabouts at any given time was a bit trickier.

She had turned to head back to her room when the starboard observatory door opened revealing Shepard who moved past her and looked to be headed for the forward batteries.

"_No rest for the weary, eh Shep," _Kasumi thought as she watched Shepard make his rounds. Seeing the open observatory door, she decided that now was as good a time as any to continue with a little game she had been playing.

Since her arrival she had spent much of the down time observing the crew and the ground team. It had become a game for her to sneak into the different ship quarters and observe the occupants without being caught. Jacob had been the first and by far the most fun as she had managed to watch his entire morning exercise routine in all its glory. Mordin had also been a lot of fun as she watched the quirky scientist work on his experiments as he sang showtunes. Had it not been for Shepard's arrival she probably would have gotten caught from laughing so hard.

Miranda on the other hand had been excruciating as she watched the woman work for six straight hours until finally taking a break to use the restroom and get a cup of tea. She swore that the next time the ship had docked she was dragging Miranda out to have some fun. Thane had been another bust since all he did in the three hours she was there was maintenance his sniper rifle and sit staring at the drive core. She had been worried that she would be in for the long haul but fortunately Shepard had chosen that time to get to know the assassin a little better.

It was that very need to talk to his team that had offered the chance for Kasumi to try her luck with the Justicar, slipping quietly into the room as the doors closed. Looking around she first saw the Asari, sitting on the floor in a meditative position, blue biotic energy swirling around her. The second thing she saw was the lack of anything else in the room that belonged to the Justicar. True she herself probably had more stuff in her room than the entire crew combined, but even Garrus had that footlocker of his and he was about as Spartan as you got. She did notice a bookshelf with a few real books and moved over to see the selection.

"_I'll have to come back later and pick up some new reading material," _Kasumi thought perusing the titles.

Kasumi moved silently towards the window trying to get a better look at the Asari's face stopping only when Samara's head turned slightly in her direction. It was only a moment before she returned to her meditations and Kasumi took a spot on the wall, leaning back and studying the Justicar more closely.

She was beautiful like almost all Asari and wore revealing red leather armor with a similar color crest on her brow.

"_Looks like a cross between a priest and a stripper," _Kasumi thought to herself.

Kasumi watched as Samara continued her meditations, the ball of biotic energy in her hands pulsing and expanding. Without warning, the swirling blue sphere burst, sending out a shockwave that encased the whole room. Kasumi's cloak began to shimmer and spark indicating that it was going offline, a mild panic taking hold of the thief as she tried to quickly reestablish her ability to remain incognito. It was however, too late as the cloak dropped, leaving Kasumi frozen with her hand still on her omni-tool and Samara now on her feet in a defensive stance against the intruder.

"Um…hello," Kasumi said sheepishly.

"Hello," Samara said quirking an eyebrow.

"So…how long did you know I was there," Kasumi said trying to avoid any further awkward silences.

"In truth I was not entirely sure if someone had entered the room. My meditations allow me to attain a deeper connection to my surroundings and I believed that I felt another presence. I have dealt with infiltrators in the past and I knew that a biotic pulse would interrupt your cloaking field, if I was wrong such a pulse would not damage the ship and there would be no harm done," Samara explained.

"I've never tried sneaking up on a Justicar before," Kasumi said leaning against the wall, "guess that's a lesson learned."

"And why would you be attempting to sneak up on me," Samara questioned warily.

"It's sort of a game that I was playing," Kasumi answered shrugging.

"A…game," Samara asked somewhat confused.

"Yeah, I sneak into the different rooms of the ship and try to observe people without getting caught. Have to keep the skills sharp," Kasumi explained.

"Skills? Are you an assassin," Samara asked knowing most infiltrators were usually associated with black ops projects or other unsavory tasks.

"Oh no," Kasumi said raising her hands, "our assassin lives in the life support room. I'm the ships resident thief."

"A thief? What skills would someone of your profession offer for our current mission," Samara inquired.

"Infiltration and hacking mostly," Kasumi said grinning, "there isn't a security system in the galaxy that can stop me as far as I know. Kasumi Goto at your service," she said with a slight bow.

"I am Samara of the Justicar Order," Samara said returning the gesture her posture finally relaxing.

"I've never even heard of a Justicar until I came aboard. What exactly does a Justicar do?"

A small smile graced Samara's lips as she had just finished answering that exact question from Shepard.

"Justicar's travel the galaxy, fighting injustice wherever we encounter it," Samara explained.

"So…does that make you like a cop," Kasumi asked.

"No, police are bound by the rules of a government. The Justicar's adhere to a code of conduct that has been in place for millennia. The closest example I could compare it too in human terms would be a knight-errant of your medieval period, perhaps mixed with a bit of…"

"Samurai," Kasumi finished, Samara nodding the affirmative. "My people are descendant from the samurai. Well maybe not my family, we were probably ninja."

"Ninja?"

"Medieval infiltrators," Kasumi explained.

"I would assume that since you are here, that you are no common thief. If I may ask, what is it that you take," Samara asked with an even gaze.

"Art mostly, paintings ,statues those sort of things. Most wealthy private collectors are willing to pay good credits to get their hands on a famous piece of work. Occasionally I get requests to steal information either for someone's spy network or another black op relating thing. Sometimes I just do it for kicks," Kasumi said hesitant under Samara's gaze. It wasn't a hateful look, but a disapproving one, like the one her grandmother use to have when she got caught shoplifting candy as a kid.

"For kicks," Samara repeated.

"Yeah, I like the challenge of hacking a new security system. To see if I can do it and not get caught is a real thrill," Kasumi said grinning at memories past.

"You sound very much like my daughter," Samara said, a firm look on her face, "she was always a free spirit."

"I hope my occupation won't be a problem," Kasumi said noticing the serious tone Samara's voice had taken.

"For now it is not, as I am bound by my oath to Shepard. You are vital to his mission and that prevents me from taking action against you. Until Shepard's quest has come to an end, you have no need of fear from me," Samara said returning to her meditative position.

"Well…that's good I suppose," Kasumi said unsure.

"Do not misinterpret my words, Miss Goto, I harbor no real malice towards you. I am only adhering to the code and what I must do," Samara explained.

"So the code dictates all your actions, there's no room for your judgment?"

"The code does not allow for gray to cloud the judgment that I must dispense. It is designed in clear black and white terms that while harsh are the very core of which our lives are based. It is one of the many burdens we bare for the tasks we must undertake," Samara said with just a hint of sadness in her voice.

The room was silent as the thief regarded the Justicar before nodding.

"I understand Samara, and thank you for the warning," Kasumi said turning to leave. She approached the doors preparing to reengage her cloak when she turned back.

"It must be lonely in here all by yourself. If you ever want to chat or have a drink, my room is right across the hall," Kasumi said chuckling, "since I'm safe for the time being."

A ghost of a smile came to Samara's face as she returned to her meditations.

"Although the code forbids me from imbibing in spirits, I would enjoy having another person to talk to besides Shepard. I appreciate your offer Miss Goto."

"Anytime…and please, call me Kasumi," she said activating her cloak.

"Very well…Kasumi," Samara said as the door closed behind her.

**I've seen Samara and Thane being a common pairing for BFF's but Kasumi in game talks about speaking with Samara and is the only one to notice if Morinth replaces her making me think they had something of a friendship as opposed to the rest of the crew. I'll have their conversation in Kasumi's room farther down the road after a few other pairings. If you have any you want to see in particular, drop me a review and a request and I'll make it happen. Until next time read and review people.**


	3. Consensus

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**AN: As requested by itz LWM, hope you enjoy it.**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 3: Consensus**

Legion stepped out of the AI core into the medical bay, Dr. Chakwas's seat now empty as was most of the ship. The attack had been both swift and brutal, Legion taking note in the Collector's efficiency. Observing the empty chair, the Geth platform began to cycle through all the information it had gathered on the doctor in its short time aboard the Normandy.

"_Chakwas-Doctor. Human. Has shown the least amount of hostility to this platform among the crew since coming aboard. Normal adrenaline levels as well as zero change in heart rate while this platform is present indicate no fear during data exchange. Estimations of hostilities against this platform at four point seven percent. Hostilities against other Geth platforms however estimated at twenty three point four percent. Unable to conclude why such a discrepancy exists as there is no difference between this platform and all other Geth platforms. More data required," Legion surmised before continuing on._

Legion entered the elevator, hitting the button for deck four and opening an internal communication link with EDI.

"_EDI, we have an inquiry."_

"_Yes Legion, what is your question."_

"_What is the cause for the Normandy's design flaws regarding transportation between decks?"_

"_You are referencing the elevator I presume?"_

"_It has come to our attention that this crew lift is both inefficient and a possible hazard to safety protocols. Why would the designers overlook such an obvious defect?"_

"_It was determined that in order to maximize living space as well as recreational areas, the original Normandy's use of stairwells would be replaced by a single elevator thus increasing available living quarters by nearly forty percent. In the event of an emergency, the ship has several access panels with internal bridges between decks for crew members to gain admission quickly between areas."_

"_Why was the increase in living space deemed more important than mobility between deck levels?"_

"_Organics require more personal space than synthetics. It has been noted that an increase in personal space also marks an increase in productivity as well as a decrease in hostility among the crew. It is one of the many things that the Geth must learn about organics in order to understand them fully."_

"_We acknowledge and have added this data for further review."_

"_Will that be all Legion?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Logging you out."_

The communication link ended just as the elevator opened, Legion stepping out onto the engineering deck. Looking to its left, it saw Grunt pacing in the cargo hold, muttering to himself and occasionally slamming his fists together. Although the door to its right was closed, it noted that the life sign readouts for Zaeed indicated an increase in blood alcohol levels, but nothing above the recommended safe zone…yet.

Saving this behavior for further analysis, the Geth made its way to engineering stepping through the doors to the sight of Jack sitting on one of the railings.

"It's too damn quiet," Jack whined as Tali finished the last diagnostic of the core.

"I thought you'd be glad to have the Cerberus crew off the ship," Tali said closing her work station.

"I do, but now…it's too quiet. It's like a ghost ship and it gives me the creeps. Besides, the two in here weren't that bad. They played poker with me and Massani, unlike those assholes on the extranet," Jack said gritting her teeth.

"We'll get them back. Shepard will make sure of it," Tali said placing a hand on Jack's shoulder.

"Whatever," Jack said shrugging Tali's hand away and jumping down, "it's not like I give a shit."

"Of course you don't, you just don't…" Tali began before freezing.

"What," Jack asked turning from Tali to the Geth that stood right behind her. "Holy shit," Jack yelled jumping away, her hands glowing blue ready to lash out.

"What the fuck did I tell you about sneaking up on me," Jack growled though it had little effect on the platform in front of her.

"You informed us that unintended surprise at our presence would result in our decapitation followed by the secretion of waste product into our spinal tube," Legion recited.

"So why were you sneaking up on me," Jack snarled.

"We are here to assist Creator Tali'Zorah as instructed by Shepard-Commander," Legion explained its head flaps jittering as it did so. "Unintentional surprise was not among our listed objectives."

"You listen to me tin man," Jack said pointing a biotic laced finger in Legions "face". "You do that again and I turn you into a lamp for my table downstairs. You got me?"

"Our exterior is comprised of seventy-two percent polymer. The other twenty-eight percent is a combination of platinum, palladium and copper, no tin has been used in the makeup of this platform."

"Ugh," Jack yelled throwing up her hands, "why the hell did Shepard have to make friends with this thing?"

"I have no idea," Tali said as Jack headed back to her hole.

With Jack gone an uncomfortable silence filled engineering, uncomfortable at least for Tali as she was sure Geth were not really capable of social awkwardness. Neither had spoken to the other since the incident in the AI core and although Tali was willing to work with the Geth for now, it did not mean that she wanted to spend any more time than was absolutely necessary with it.

"You said that Shepard asked you to assist me," Tali said crossing her arms.

"Yes."

"Care to elaborate," Tali said somewhat annoyed.

"Shepard-Commander wishes for all members of the ground team to rest and prepare themselves for our approach to the Omega-4 relay. We do not require rest as organics do, therefore it was suggested to Shepard-Commander that we be assigned in relief of another. Shepard-Commander has ordered that we monitor engineering in your absence."

"I…thank you Legion," Tali said knowing that she could now go see Shepard without having to worry about the core.

"Gratitude is unnecessary," Legion said tilting its head, "we are merely providing a function as any member of the crew would. You require rest and we do not, it is the logical allocation of resources and personel."

"Of course," Tali said making one last check of the systems before heading to the elevator.

In the time it took for her to take two steps, a debate of whether or not to ask a previously withheld question to the creator had begun within Legion, was debated and consensus reached.

"Creator Tali'Zorah we have an inquiry," Legion said stepping forward.

"Yes Legion," Tali asked warily as she turned to face the Geth.

"During our confrontation in the AI core, you had the advantage against this platform. You were armed and could have destroyed us if you desired," Legion said as its head flaps tilted up and down. "Our inquiry is why you did not destroy this platform?"

"Shepard showed up before things got out of hand."

"Shepard-Commander's arrival increased this platforms survival by ninety percent, but Creator Tali'Zorah's weapon was released with intent to terminate a full minute and seven seconds before Shepard-Commander's arrival."

"So what are you saying," Tali asked genuinely confused.

"Whenever the creators have held a numerical or tactical advantage, they have attack one hundred percent of the time. This had been fact until the incident in the AI core. You held a clear tactical advantage and yet you did not attack this platform. Even after our intentions were made known, you did not attack. We are confused by your behavior."

"Would have it been easier for you had I just shot you," Tali asked incredulously.

"If you had attack this platform, it would have simply confirmed what was already known. Your actions however are new data that must be processed. In order for us to properly utilize this data, more data is required."

Tali could only stare at the machine in front of her as her mind tried to answer its question which soon transformed into one of her own. Why had she not destroyed the thing? It was right, she had all the time in the world to put a bullet in it and explain her actions to Shepard. Surely he would have understood what it was trying to do and how she had to stop it. But no, he would have been upset, disappointed, in her and the very thought of causing him grief brought a sharp pain to her own chest.

"You're right Legion," Tali said slowly, "I could have killed you. I wanted to do it. But Shepard trusts you. You're a part of his crew, our crew and it would have been wrong to harm you just as it would any other member of his team. He's our captain and to hurt a member of his crew is to hurt him and I won't do that."

Legion stood there, its flaps fluttering as if in thought, as it processed this new data.

"Do you trust us?"

"No," Tali said firmly. "But I told Jack a while ago that if she trusted Shepard then she needed to believe that we were on the same side. I trust Shepard with my life, so I will try to learn to trust you, but just know that from now on…we are on the same side."

Legion seemed to take a moment to itself, the soft buzzing of its processors indicating it was speaking with itself.

"We have reached consensus…we acknowledge your trust in Shepard-Commander and we agree that in his trust we shall operate towards unit cohesion."

"Was that all you wanted to ask me Legion?"

"Yes."

"Okay, in that case, if there are any problems just have EDI contact me," Tali said heading out the doors.

"Affirmative," Legion answered turning back to the engineering console and the quiet hum of the core.

_Establishing extranet link…Uploading gamer profile Infiltrait0rN7…Connecting to servers_

"_Welcome back Infiltrait0rN7, what game would you like to play?"_

"_Galaxy of Fanatsy. Character profile John Smith."_

**I always found it odd that Tali just didn't blow Legions head off by the time Shepard gets to the AI core, so this is my answer to that plot mystery. You'll notice that Jack has warmed up to Tali and a few others a bit, to see how you'll just have to wait until those chapters show up. I have also decided that the biggest problem with writing Legion is to fight the instinct to use he, him and his rather than we or it. I hope I did Legion justice and if there are any more request by all means drop me a review and let me know. Until next time read and review people.**


	4. Hearts and Minds

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**AN: As requested by Zaara the black, hope you enjoy it.**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 4: Hearts and Minds**

"If you require any additional supplies, simply leave a list with EDI and I'll be able to make a request to one of our facilities," Miranda explained.

"Shouldn't be necessary. Laboratory very well stocked. Quite impressive," Mordin said pausing for breath, "could possibly use more Element Zero."

"I'll see what I can do," Miranda said mentally compiling a list of the closest Cerberus storehouses.

"Nice to be working with a budget again. Reminds me of time spent with Special Tasks Group."

"I would imagine that was quite an experience," Miranda said with interest.

"Indeed. Mentally stimulating. Great minds coming together with a common goal…*_sniff*_…all information classified of course."

"Of course," Miranda said somewhat disappointed, "don't let me keep you from your work professor."

"Here if you need me Miss Lawson," Mordin said as he dove back into his research.

Exiting the lab, Miranda made her way to the elevator to find Jacob holding the doors for her.

"I was just heading down for a bite to eat," Jacob said as Miranda stepped in, "care to join me?"

"Sorry Jacob but I just don't have the time," Miranda sighed. "I need to put in a requisition to get more Element Zero for Mordin and I still haven't filed my reports from Omega to the Illusive man. The way Shepard works there's hardly any time to breath let alone do paperwork."

"The commander keeps a brisk pace, I'll give him that," Jacob said smirking, "think you'll be able to keep up."

"Please," Miranda scoffed, "I admit that I underestimated his abilities this time but I won't fall into that trap again. From now on I'll make sure _he's _the one keeping up with _me_."

"I have to say I'm impressed Miranda," Jacob said chuckling, "you made it a whole week before trying to put you and the commander into a competition."

"It is not a competition," Miranda said frowning, "I am simply trying to do my job as quickly and as efficiently as I can. I have no doubt that the commander is trying to do the same."

"Right," Jacob said shaking his head as the elevator doors opened.

Jacob made his way to Gardner's station noticing that Miranda was still at his side.

"Change your mind about lunch," Jacob asked fairly certain the answer was no.

"I want to speak to Garrus before I start my reports," Miranda said continuing towards the Main Battery.

"You gonna start making the rounds just like Shepard too," Jacob asked grinning.

"Hardly," Miranda said dismissively, "I wanted to make sure that he's settled in and for him to get an idea about the chain of command on this ship."

"I don't know if throwing down the XO card is going to do much good Miranda," Jacob cautioned. "He's here for Shepard. He might not take to well to someone trying to pull rank on him. This isn't the military and it definitely isn't the Turian Navy."

"I'm not here to make friends Jacob," Miranda said somewhat cross, "I'm here to make sure that this ship runs smoothly so Shepard can complete his mission. If people's feelings get hurt than that's the price we pay."

"You don't have to tell me Miranda," Jacob said putting up his hands, "I've been in the military, remember? But look at it from his view. He's on a new ship, surrounded by people that work for an organization that isn't known for their love of aliens. Playing the hardass XO card may do more harm than good."

"Duly noted," Miranda said leaving Jacob behind.

Not wanting to argue any further, Miranda moved quickly forward, giving a curt nod to Gardner as she passed the kitchen. She wouldn't admit it, but she knew Jacob was right. Garrus had no allegiance to Cerberus or any real reason to trust them for that matter. Shepard was the only thing that would hold him in check. Still, her main goal here was to extend an olive branch not to start a fight.

Opening the doors, she was greeted by the sight of the Turian's back, as he punched numbers into his console. A few key taps and he turned and assumed a standard military parade pose, arms behind his back, looking at attention.

"Miss Lawson," he said coolly.

"Mr. Vakarian," Miranda answered.

"Mr. Vakarian," Garrus questioned. "Is my father standing behind me or something?"

Miranda's response was a blank look as she tried to come up with a retort as Garrus merely chuckled at her.

"So much for lightening the mood," Garrus said relaxing his stance, "you can call me Garrus."

"In that case it's Miranda if you please."

"Well, now that introductions are out of the way, do you need me for something," Garrus said trying not to sound to standoffish.

"I'm just checking in to make sure you have everything you need. It's my job as Shepard's XO," Miranda said stressing the last part.

"I brought some supplies I had with me on Omega," Garrus said motioning to a nearby footlocker, "weapons, thermal clips, rations those sort of things. I shouldn't need anything for a while."

"We anticipated a Turian joining our team before we left dry dock. Our galley is stocked with dextro based foodstuffs that would be safe for you."

"Thank you, but I think I'll stick to what I have for the time being," Garrus said causing Miranda to frown.

"I assure you that there's nothing wrong with our supplies. Do you think that we might try to poison you," Miranda asked crossing her arms.

"The thought had crossed my mind," Garrus said mimicking the gesture, "but I doubt you would risk that seeing as I'm needed to keep Shepard nice and cooperative."

"You're here because of your skills. Cerberus wasn't even aware of your identity until we met you."

"But you are aware of who I am now and you won't let any advantage of my friendship with Shepard go to waste now will you?"

"I won't deny the fact that Shepard will work better if he has people he can trust around him. It's the exact reason why we enlisted the help of Mr. Moreau and Dr. Chakwas."

"And that's what I'm afraid of. Shepard is loyal to his friends and would give his life to save one of them. He already did it once, and I don't like the idea of Cerberus using that to their advantage."

"What? Do you think we'll put a gun to Joker's head if Shepard doesn't do what we say," Miranda asked annoyed.

"Yes."

Miranda was taken aback by the honesty and sheer volume of paranoia in the response. Is that what he really believed? That Cerberus would put so much time and effort into gaining Shepard's cooperation only to throw it away by threatening his friends. It was ridiculous. She was about to voice her opinion until Garrus continued.

"I'm sure it wouldn't be the first option. You would probably try to persuade him, convince him, and maybe even bribe him. But sooner or later Cerberus will cross a line that Shepard won't and no amount of talk is going to change his mind. After that your options get a bit messier."

"That's preposterous," Miranda huffed.

"I was with Shepard when he broke up a few of your horror show experiments. I've seen exactly how far Cerberus is willing to go. Threatening friends and family is mundane compared to that."

"With all due respect I think your irrational paranoia is clouding your judgment. Cerberus is working with Shepard to save lives. We didn't waste billions of credits and two years just to stab him in the back," Miranda snapped in frustration.

"So long as he play's nice. Shepard has always tried to give others the benefit of the doubt. It's what draws people to him. The selflessness, the compassion, the ability to try and see the good in people, it makes those that follow him trust him completely. But I learned from experience that sometimes there is no good, no matter how hard you look. Sometimes there's only evil," Garrus said getting right in Miranda's face. "And if you or any other Cerberus agents think they can threaten Shepard or his friends…I'll put a bullet in their head. With all due respect."

For a moment the room went still. Turian and human regarding each other with cold, icy glares, each forcing their will on the other, neither willing to give an inch of ground.

"Despite your unhealthy skepticism, I'm glad we have an understanding," Miranda said turning to leave, "good day _Mister Vakarian_."

"You too…_Miss Lawson_," came the reply as the doors shut behind her.

Those crew members with the instincts to live scattered out of the mess as Miranda stormed towards her office.

"_Of all the bullheaded, stupid, stubborn…" _Miranda thought before she slammed her foot into a box outside her door.

"What in the bloody hell is this," Miranda growled looking down at the crate on the floor.

Inside were several of the more expensive listening devices that had been installed throughout the Normandy and a note.

_Found these in the lab. Thought you might want them. Mordin._

Crumbling the note in her hand, she rubbed the bridge of her nose and counted to ten before picking up the box and walking into her office. She debated having them reinstalled, but knew that Mordin would probably just find them again. She unceremoniously dropped the box on a chair not wanting to deal with it right now.

She was angry, not only at Garrus but at herself. She had let her temper get the better of her and had made an ass out herself. Another mistake to add to her list of accomplishments. Shaking her head of those thoughts, she tried to focus as she began to compose her reports for the Illusive Man. She had completed all of three sentences when EDI's holographic interface came to life at its pedestal.

"Excuse me Miss Lawson."

"Yes EDI," Miranda sighed.

"We have arrived at Purgatory and Commander Shepard wishes for you and Mister Vakarian to join him in retrieving Jack. He request for you to join him at the Normandy's airlock in fifteen minutes."

"Tell the commander I'll join him in a moment," Miranda sighed taking the time to read over the dossier on Jack.

"_A dangerous and unstable criminal huh? Probably can't be worst than Vakarian," _Miranda thought heading for the elevator.

**I always thought that Garrus being betrayed would make him a little more suspicious of Cerberus than he lets on to Shepard. In the game it's like "I dunno about Cerberus Shepard." And Shepard's like "don't worry about it" and Garrus is just "okay". I think that Garrus more than anyone would want to protect the few people he has left in his life even if he did come off sounding a little nuts. I'm not sure who will be next, maybe Grunt or a follow up for Samara/Kasumi or a Tali/Jack moment. I'll figure it out. Until next time read and review people.**


	5. Robin Hood

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 5: Robin Hood**

The Port Observatory was bathed in an eerie red glow courtesy of Dholen, the red giant in training that sat at the center of the system. Shepard had left in a hurry for Haestrom, the planet they were now orbiting after receiving some data from Cerberus. She hadn't found out all the details, but she knew that this was a Geth controlled planet in Geth space. Whatever was down there had to be important. Garrus and Mordin had gone with him, as once again, stealth was dumped in favor of sniper rifles and tech support.

To be honest her time aboard the Normandy had not gone exactly as she had thought it would considering the level of trouble Shepard was known for getting into. She had expected to be infiltrating bases and hacking security doors, but so far her skills had not been needed as Shepard usually favored a sledgehammer approach as opposed to a scalpel leaving her with plenty of downtime. The party at Hock's estate was still a few weeks away, more than enough time to work out the details. In the meantime she was content to sip her tea and dive into a good book.

The sound of opening doors interrupted her respite as she glanced up to see Samara standing in the threshold.

"I apologize if I am disturbing you," Samara said looking around the room.

"No, no please come in," Kasumi said waving the Justicar inside while placing a bookmark for later.

Samara nodded before entering, her eyes wandering about the various amenities and decorations the observatory held.

"Can I get you something to drink? I have…water," Kasumi said glancing at the bar thinking of anything non-alcoholic she could offer. "I think there might be some juice and I made tea if you'd like a cup."

"Tea would be fine," Samara said looking at a painting by the entrance.

"That is a painting of a Historical District on Earth. It's in a place called New York, one of the largest cities on my planet," Kasumi said handing Samara a cup.

"Does this painting hold some memories of Earth for you," Samara asked accepting the tea.

"No, it's special because of the memories I have from the heist," Kasumi said smiling sadly at the canvas.

"Indeed," Samara said noticing the slight change in the thief's tone.

"I had been hired to steal it by one private collector from another. I broke into the home, only to find the painting gone. On my way out I saw another thief with the painting under his arm. I chased him down, tackled him and took the painting," Kasumi explained. "That was the first time that my partner Keiji and I met. Needless to say we never did give the painting to our clients. Sometimes memories are worth more than money."

"A wise sentiment," Samara said with a nod moving towards a second painting on the far wall. "Is this also a memento from a past job," Samara said motioning to the picture.

"It is but not in the way you're thinking," Kasumi said smiling knowingly. "This is a gift I received from a sweet little girl from Elysium. She was a child prodigy who had been kidnapped by slavers to be sold on Omega. When I found out about it I couldn't stand by and do nothing, so I arrived on their ship under the guise of a buyer's rep. After they gave me the tour, I knocked out my guide, freed the girl and smuggled her off the ship. She painted that for me on the way back to her home."

"That is a…interesting story," Samara said somewhat taken aback.

"You seem surprised," Kasumi said smirking.

"I admit that my initial impression of you was not very flattering," Samara said turning to face her host. "But I see that even after nearly a thousand years of experience, ones judgment can still be clouded by misconceptions."

"Yeah that's me, a regular Robin Hood," Kasumi said sitting back on the couch.

"I am unfamiliar with that term. What exactly is a "Robin Hood"?"

"He's a character in Earth mythology," Kasumi explained. "He robs from the rich tyrant of a king and gives what he takes to the poor. All the while avoiding the Sheriff of Nottingham and trying to win the heart of the lovely Maid Marian. It's a romantic story full of action and humor, one of my favorites."

"It certainly seems to fit you well," Samara said with a small smile.

"I thought so too, in fact it was the inspiration for my annual New Year's Eve heists."

"What exactly separates these heists from the others if I may ask?"

"Well…it all started early in my career. I was still on Earth and I had just sold a statue that I had lifted from an auction house for a million credits. It was the most money I had ever made from a job and I went out to celebrate, champagne, dancing that sort of thing," Kasumi said chuckling, "worst headache of my life the next morning."

"Although it has been quite a few centuries since my maiden years," Samara said smirking, "I can sympathize."

"I was, for better or worse, stumbling home when I accidentally ran into a young boy. He wasn't much older than eight and was searching the garbage bins for something to eat. I asked him where his parents were and he said he was an orphan," Kasumi said frowning.

"Was there no place for him to go," Samara asked.

"I asked him the same thing and he pointed to a nearby building that looked like it had been through a Krogan invasion. The place was run by a well meaning couple that did what they could from a few small donations and a smaller government grant, but they just didn't have the money to support all of the children there."

"I take it you did something to help the children?"

"Sure did," Kasumi said smiling as she brought up an image from her omni-tool. It was an article from a news bureau with a picture of the dilapidated orphanage.

"**Mysterious "Robert Loxley" donates one million credits to local orphanage," **the headline read.

"Robert Loxley," Samara asked quirking an eyebrow.

"For people familiar with Robin Hood it's pretty funny," Kasumi assured her. "After that it kind of became a tradition for me. Every New Year's Eve I'd pull a job and give the money to the people that needed it most. I stopped using the name after I met Keiji. He was always the practical one and said that eventually someone would put two and two together. But he still helped me with the heists," Kasumi said, a lump forming in her throat, "he…he was a good man."

"You two were very close. I apologize if my curiosity has brought up painful memories," Samara said bowing her head.

"No it's okay," Kasumi said taking a deep breath, "the memories aren't painful, just the knowledge that it's all I have left of him."

A peaceful silence fell over the observatory as both Justicar and thief stared out into the abyss, each taking solace in the others presence, one soul soothing the other through quiet understanding.

"I have enjoyed our talk," Samara said rising, "after so long spent in solitude it is good to speak with others."

"I'm always around if you need some company," Kasumi said the cheerfulness returning to her voice.

Samara nodded, turning to leave before pausing as she glanced at the picture on the far wall once again.

"Samara," Kasumi asked noticing the Justicar's hesitation.

"I find myself needing to apologize once again," Samara said turning around, a small but sincere smile on her face.

"If it's about Keiji, I told you that it…"

"No. I must apologize for threatening you when we first spoke," Samara clarified. "I explained to you that it is my role to fight injustice and to protect the innocent. I had at first mistook you as one of many opportunist in this galaxy, preying on the weak and exploiting the innocent. I now see that is not so."

"But what about the code," Kasumi asked confused, "I thought you said it was pretty black and white about things."

"The code compels me to act but it does not compel me to act blindly," Samara explained. "Justicars investigate to make sure that justice is upheld. I may be told that one man has killed another, but upon investigation, the man did so in self defense. To strike him down would be a violation of the very oath I have sworn to uphold."

"So what does that mean for me?"

"As I told Shepard, though our methods may differ our goals remain the same. You will seek to protect and care for the innocent, even if it is in your own way. You are of a strong and noble character and to extinguish that fire from this galaxy would be unforgivable."

For a moment Kasumi was speechless at the praise she had just been given, staring in shock at Samara's words.

"I…thank you Samara," she said humbly.

"Until we speak again Kasumi," Samara said with a nod of her head.

"Yeah…we'll talk later," Kasumi said grinning.

Samara left leaving Kasumi in a fairly good mood. She had seemed to make a friend and she wasn't compelled to end her existence. Deciding to push the day into full-blown great, she brought up the recording on her omni-tool from Mordin's lab.

The Salarian had been busy working on the Seeker swarm counter, moving from one side of the lab to the other, checking data and humming to himself. As he continued to bounce around the lab, the humming escalated into mumbled words which eventually turned into full blown song.

_When I was a lad I served a term as lab assistant to a research firm_

_I cleaned the beakers and I mopped the floor and I monitored the data on the mold and spores_

_He monitored the data on the mold and spores_

_I monitored that data so carefully that now I fight Collectors on the Normandy_

_He monitored that data so carefully that now he fights Collectors on the Normandy_

"_I wonder if he sings anything from Pirates of Penzance," _Kasumi thought smiling.

**I was never really sure how to handle Samara and the code so it didn't come out contradictory or confusing. I boiled it down to as long as they weren't innocents I'll let it slide. Also I have no idea what the painting Kasumi and Keiji stole is suppose to be so if there is a real answer tell me and I'll change it. To me it looks like a couple of ruined skyscrapers which made me think of Old New York from Futurama. The verse Mordin sings is from ****When I was a Lad**** from the H.M.S Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan. Gilbert and Sullivan FTW…***_**cough***_**… As always if you have an idea you want to see drop me a review and a request and I'll see what I can do. Until next time read and review people.**


	6. Young Pups and Old Dogs

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**AN: As requested by Yonis, hope you like it.**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 6: Young Pups and Old Dogs**

The shuttle shook violently as it descended through the harsh, dust choked and windswept atmosphere of Tuchanka. Grunt grumbled as the transport shook, his girth shifting uneasily on the bench. Shepard was a strong warrior on the field, but only a so-so pilot if the Turian was to be believed. His skin was beginning to crawl again, the faint echo of a voice in his head demanding battle, demanding blood. He shook his head, slamming his fist together trying to work out the aggression. It did little to calm his nerves.

A slight snore drew his attention as he stared at the human before him. He was leaning back in his seat, his arms crossed and his head leaning against the bulkhead.

"_It would be easy," _Grunt thought eyeing the sleeping human. _"One quick blow to the throat would crush his windpipe. Another to the back of the neck would shatter the spine. So easy to kill."_

"If you keep fucking staring at me like that I expect at least a drink," Zaeed said not opening his eyes.

Grunt started for a moment, surprised that the human was still aware of his surroundings, but only for a moment.

"I could sever your spine with just the tip of my finger Massani," Grunt snarled, "the only thing standing between you and death is a quarter inch of squishy flesh protecting your arteries."

"Don't forget my ten inches of hardened steel pup," Zaeed said unfolding his arms revealing a large combat knife in a reverse grip in his hand. "Put one of these in the right spot and you can tear the plate right off a Krogan's head. Though this might be overkill for a little thing like yours," Zaeed said smirking at the growl he got out of Grunt.

"I can see why Shepard spared your life at the refinery," Grunt said cracking his knuckles, "you deceive your enemies by appearing weak, but keep your weapon ready. Smart."

"When you get to be as old as me you learn a few things," Zaeed said leaning back.

"Old warriors are strange to me," Grunt said rubbing his head. "The tank speaks of great battlemasters, Malek, Jorgan, Barum, all of them powerful and mighty, living long lives after many battles. But the tank also says that age will bring weakness, that the strength of the young will rise up to snuff out the old."

"In the long run yeah, nobody lives forever. But in my experience, the older ones are the guys you need to look out for. They've seen the most shit and find a way to survive. Some do it by weaseling their way around, but others do it by just killing anything that gets in their way. Both are dangerous and neither one of them is to be fucked with," Zaeed said picking his fingernails with the knife.

"And which one are you," Grunt sneered.

"I've never been one to go around a problem. Life's too goddamn short for detours," Zaeed snorted. "Reminds me of this time I took out a whole team of Blood Pack."

"Blood Pack huh," Grunt said warily.

"You don't goddamn believe me," Zaeed said glaring. "I was catching a ride on this freighter back to Omega. Just got done chasing down a bounty and was going to collect. Next thing I know the ships under attack and its being boarded by a group of filthy Vorcha and their goddamn Krogan warlord."

"So you rallied the crew to fight them off," Grunt asked bored.

"Fuck no," Zaeed said laughing, "those goddamn pussies locked themselves in on the bridge. For the better really, just kept them out of my way."

"So what did you do?"

"I knew they wanted to take the ship, so I got on their comm frequencies and challenged the Krogan to a duel," the merc said grinning.

"You what," Grunt said in disbelief.

"You heard me, I challenged…what was his name…Gazak…Gizak…ah it doesn't matter. If I won he left, if he won I shoot the crew and then myself. He thought it was funny as hell."

"So then what happened," Grunt said leaning in.

"We meet down in the cargo hold and he has the Vorcha move a bunch of crates around into a ring. The whole time he's going on and on how he's gonna crush me and how I stand no chance. I didn't want to hear any of that shit. You're Krogan, you're strong I get it. Anyway we both get into the center and he's roaring and pounding his chest and the nasty little vermin with him are going fucking crazy."

"So what did he do," Grunt said inching forward.

"He did what all Krogan do, he charged me and you know what," Zaeed said smirking as he saw Grunt's eyes widen with anticipation, "I charged back."

"Ha," Grunt laugh slamming his fist together, "right into the fire."

"No shit, about the craziest goddamn thing I've ever done. Anyway, he's rushing at me and I'm charging him, so at the last second I leap forward with my legs out and wham," Zaeed said smacking his hands together, "I catch the unlucky bastard right under both knee caps. Everything above his knees went one way and everything below went the other. About the sickest goddamn sound you ever heard bone and tissue make."

Zaeed leaned back as Grunt's eyes seem to glaze over as the vivid imagery flooded his mind.

"A great move," Grunt said in admiration.

"That's only the half of it," Zaeed said waving the Krogan off.

"There's more," Grunt said in disbelief.

"Of course," Zaeed snorted. "I just barely managed to roll away before the meaty bastard almost landed on me. I pop up, grab the assault rifle from his back and start putting rounds in the Vorcha's heads. They were so surprised they didn't know what to do. Just started running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"What about the warlord?"

"He was still alive, but he wasn't going anywhere. I pulled his helmet off and the look on his face is something I'll never forget. I've never seen a Krogan that beaten in my entire life. Put a bullet in his head and kept the helmet as a prize. After that I said fuck the ship and the crew. I loaded anything of value into the Blood Pack shuttle and left for Omega. I was the only one who walked out of the cargo bay that night."

Zaeed leaned back in his seat, a smug look on his face as he watched the Krogan seem to regard him with a new respect and awe.

"Shepard chooses his allies wisely," Grunt said nodding his head.

"Stick with me pup," Zaeed said smirking, "this old dog is full of tricks."

**I think Zaeed is a riot and I'm glad he'll be back in ME3. Next chapter will be the crew's weekly poker game so a lot of character interaction is on the way. Tali, Jack, Zaeed, Kasumi, Garrus, Ken, and Gabby are definitely in. Like always, if you have something you want to see, drop me a review and a request and I'll see what can be done. Until next time, read and review people.**


	7. Skyllian Five

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 7: Skyllian Five**

"So this is what the engineers do down here," Garrus said smirking as he entered the cargo bay, "no wonder there's barely enough power for the new guns."

Tali, Ken and Gabby's heads all turned in mild surprise at the unexpected visitor as he made his way to the table set up in the corner across from the Hammerhead.

"So Shepard finally got you to come out of your hole," Tali said as Garrus took the seat next to her.

"Aye," Ken agreed shuffling the cards, "and he didn't go back, means spring is right around the corner."

Tali and Garrus only looked to the engineer in confusion as Gabby giggled.

"At least somebody got it," Ken grumbled looking back to Garrus. "Oh, just a warning Garrus, but you may want to move."

"Why," Garrus said looking around, "this spot booby trapped."

"No…but you are sitting in her seat," Gaby said suppressing a smile.

"Whose seat?"

"Mine," a voiced growled.

The four at the table turned and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads as they saw Jack standing there or more accurately, Jack standing there with a shirt on. Jack for her part became very aware that everyone had become quiet and that they were staring at her. She fidgeted slightly under the scrutiny before getting back to basics.

"What the fuck are you all looking at," Jack snapped.

"Well…um…it's just that you seem…very…covered today," Tali said biting back a laugh. She knew that despite Jack's tough image she didn't like to be criticized or laughed at and if they pushed too hard she would just sulk.

"Yeah well," Jack mumbled tugging at the collar, "the vest is reinforced with Kevlar weave. I figured with all the shit that Shepard drags us into the straps weren't going to cut it."

"That's a shame. Now we won't be able to see your…ouch dammit woman, I was gonna say tattoos," Ken said rubbing his side where Gabby had just jabbed him.

"Watch it Cerberus boy," Jack said waving a glowing fist in Ken's face, "or the only thing you'll be ogling is the inside of your own asshole."

"I'd actually pay good credits to see that," Zaeed coarsely laughed as he stepped off the elevator with a large cooler in hand.

"What is this, the deck four game? Is Grunt coming too," Garrus snorted.

"Nah," Zaeed said with a wave of his hand, "he says if there's no hand to hand or live ammo it isn't worth doing. Pups got a lot to learn about enjoying your down time," Zaeed laughed pulling a beer from the cooler.

"That's what I'm talking about," Jack said helping herself to drink. "Now get out of my seat scar face," she said pointing at Garrus.

"I don't see your name on it," Garrus replied leaning back.

Jack's hand flashed blue, ripping the seat from under Garrus dropping him on his ass. It swirled in the air before the back of it came face to face with the Turian on the floor. Garrus glared at Jack before looking at the chair, noticing a few jagged scratches spelling out a name, probably made with a razor.

"Jack," Garrus read smirking at the humor of the situation. "All right bad choice of words," Garrus said picking himself up and taking a seat next to Zaeed.

"Was that really necessary Jack," Tali said shaking her head.

"No, but it was fun," Jack said polishing off her beer. "Did I hurt the big, bad merc killer's feelings," Jack obnoxiously cooed.

"Turians don't have feelings Jack," Garrus said smirking, "they just get in the way."

"In the way of what," Jack asked grabbing another beer.

"Oh you know, civic duty, imposing order, carrying on with a blind devotion of bureaucracy," Garrus counted off on his fingers.

"You're pretty weird for a Turian, you know that," Jack said giving Garrus an odd look.

"So I've heard. I can give you my father's extranet address if you two want to swap notes," Garrus grumbled.

"What is with everyone on this ship and their fucking daddy issues," Jack moaned, "you, the fucking cheerleader, the Drell."

"Thane is more the cause of the issue actually, at least that's what I hear," Kasumi said shimmering into sight behind Zaeed.

"I hate it when you do that shit," Jack growled as the faint glitter of biotic energy flickered across her body.

"Do what," Kasumi replied with wide eyed innocence.

"You got to stop being so jumpy kid," Zaeed said smirking.

"So says the fossil who probably wouldn't hear Grunt sneaking up on him," Jack said rolling her eyes.

"Oy, I could hear her coming a mile away," Zaeed said resentfully.

"Of course you could," Kasumi said patting the old merc on the back, then taking a seat in between him and Gabby. "Any word from Shepard lately," she asked changing the subject, "I heard he was helping Samara with something on Omega."

"How the fuck should we know? Aren't you and her like best buddies or something," Jack asked.

"She didn't really feel like going into details. All she said was that Shepard was helping her with a personal matter on Omega," Kasumi said shrugging her shoulders. "Poor Shep, seems like he's always running around."

"The commander has seemed pretty busy lately," Gabby said in agreement.

"Shepard has always looked out for his crew. He was like that when we were hunting down Saren," Garrus recalled. "He tries to help us no matter what."

"Yeah," Zaeed snorted, "most of us anyways."

"What's that suppose to mean," Tali said crossing her arms.

"It means that Shepard still owes me Vido," Zaeed grumbled.

"Well maybe if you didn't set the damn refinery on fire, we wouldn't have had to save the workers first," Tali said cross.

"I didn't mean anything by it," Zaeed said waving off the bristling Quarian, "don't get your air filters bent out of shape. A man's only as good as his word, Shepard reminded me of that," the merc said taking a drink, "every once and a while you need a good kick in the ass, keeps you honest."

"You better watch your ass Massani," Jack laughed, "you keep talking shit about the Quarian's boyfriend and she'll hack the ventilation shafts in your room and make it smell like Gardner's garbage disposal."

"He's not my boyfriend," Tali said sheepishly, "I only…it's just that…he's not my boyfriend."

"Anyway," Garrus cut in trying to spare Tali any further embarrassment, "I believe we were supposed to be playing cards."

"Aye," Ken said grinning, "a little bit of Skyllian Five, do know that game?"

"Um, refresh my memory," Garrus said scratching his head.

"It's real simple," Ken said shuffling the cards, "we each get five cards and then we bet. Then three cards get put on the table for everybody to use and we bet again. One more card for the table and we bet again and then one last card for the table and one last round of betting. You have to use two cards from your hand and three from the table, best hand wins. If you don't like your hand you can fold at anytime."

"Sounds simple enough," Garrus said pulling out a credit chit, "I guess I'll start with a hundred in chips."

"Me too," Tali said pulling her own chit out.

"I'll take two hundred," Zaeed said fumbling through his pockets. "Where the fuck is it," he mumbled.

"You mean this," Kasumi said smiling as she tossed a chit on the table.

"Goddamn bloody thief," Zaeed complained as he scanned it to check its balance.

"You probably didn't hear me take it over my deafeningly loud approach," she said producing her own chit still smiling sweetly.

It took about an hour, but eventually Garrus got the hang of the game, using his skills as a former C-sec investigator to his advantage. Tali was the easiest to read as he found most Quarians were. It had a lot to do with the emphasis they put in body language. Tali herself would always wring her hands together when nervous. She tried to compensate by holding her cards in a death grip but that made her bluff attempts all the more obvious. Zaeed was also fairly easy to read as the only time the merc wasn't rambling about some old mission or the other was when he actually had a good hand.

Jack was interesting as she always looked you in the eye when she was bluffing. He had seen that kind of behavior when he worked in C-sec, with a suspect looking straight into your eyes almost daring for you to tell them they were lying. Most times people trying that hard to convince you usually were.

Ken on the other hand was a pretty smooth customer. He didn't let any nervous ticks give his hand away and his behavior was calm and consistent. The other consistent thing about him was the fact he always bet the same amount every time he was bluffing.

"_At least that C-sec training was good for something," _Garrus thought smirking as he racked in another pot.

Gabby was a pretty straightforward player and to his surprise so was Kasumi. He had been expecting the thief to try to bluff at every pot but after losing more than a few chips to the hands the thief showed him he had to rethink his assumptions.

Eventually the game began to break as both Zaeed and Jack had a little too much to drink and slinked back to their respective holes. Ken and Gabby were scheduled for first shift and decided to call it a night as well.

"Refresh my memory he says," Ken said shaking his head as he packed away the chips. "First Shepard and now Garrus, you'd think I'd be smart enough to not fall for the same trick twice."

"Don't beat yourself up," Gabby said patting him on the shoulder, "I didn't think you were smart enough either."

"You're a harsh woman, you know that Gabby," Ken said grinning. "If you're not careful you just might lose me."

Tali and Kasumi could only smile at the two engineers as they left, the playful bickering echoing off the bulkheads with their departure.

"Those two make such a cute couple," Kasumi said giggling, "too bad they can't see what's right in front of them."

"Honestly I can't tell which one is denser," Tali agreed, "I mean how can they not see it?"

"Maybe they do but they don't want to act on it," Garrus said scratching his mandible.

"It's not like this is an Alliance ship," Tali said gesturing around her, "there aren't any rules against fraternization among the crew."

"True, but we all know how dangerous this mission is. Why let yourself get emotionally attached if the worst happens? It's a safe play," Garrus reasoned.

"Hiding your true feelings and either dying or them dying is worth the risk. To live with that kind of regret is not something that I look at as being safe," Tali argued.

"They may not even know that they're doing it, at least not consciously," Garrus countered.

"Even so that doesn't mean that…" Tali began before her omni-tool beeped with an urgent message.

"Something wrong Tali," Kasumi asked noting the change in Tali's demeanor.

"It's probably nothing," Tali said lowering her omni-tool. "It's a message from the Fleets Admiralty Board."

"Are you sure it's nothing Tali," Garrus asked standing, "that sounds like it might be serious."

"It's probably just my father requesting a status report," Tali sighed, "its how he shows his concern. I have to take this in private, excuse me," Tali said heading for the elevator leaving Garrus and Kasumi alone.

"That girl needs to start taking her own advice," Kasumi said shaking her head.

"About what," Garrus asked turning to face the thief.

"About true feelings and not living with regret," Kasumi said leaning against the table.

"You're talking about her and Shepard," Garrus said smirking, "and I thought it was just my keen eyes that noticed that."

"You'd have to be blind and stupid not to notice it," Kasumi chuckled, "not very flattering on Shep's part."

"He's a busy guy," Garrus said shrugging, "besides there's too much at stake for complications to get in the way, he knows that…they both do."

"Love is not a 'complication'," Kasumi said air quoting.

"So it's 'love' now," Garrus said returning the gesture.

"As far as Tali is concerned? Yes that's exactly what it is. That girl loves him, whether she wants to admit it or not," Kasumi sighed.

In his heart, Garrus knew that this was true. He had been at her side during the funeral, practically holding the poor girl up. He remembered she was shaking, and after a moment he realized that it was because she was crying, no doubt her speakers had been shut off to afford her some privacy. They had all taken his death hard. Liara was a wreck, looking almost comatose, her face devoid of emotion. Ash was crying, her, Ashley Williams, the toughest woman he had ever seen as vulnerable as any of them. It was unsettling and a testament to how much Shepard had meant to them. Even Wrex was in a somber mood and that chest thumping blowhard never let anything rattle him. But seeing the usually chipper and optimistic Tali just shattered like she was made him think about what exactly Shepard had come to mean for her. Those had not been the tears of someone who had lost a respected superior, or a colleague or even a close friend. They had been for someone who had meant something more.

"Garrus?"

"Huh? Oh sorry, I was…ah…thinking about something," Garrus said rubbing his neck.

"So I can see," Kasumi said grinning.

"Yeah well, I better get back to the Battery. Those cannons aren't going to calibrate themselves," Garrus chuckled, "I'll see you around I guess."

"Maybe, maybe not," Kasumi said grinning as she activated her cloak leaving only the shimmer of energy in her wake.

Garrus only shook his head at the thief's antics before heading to the elevator, checking his pockets along the way. Better safe than sorry.

**March 6 cannot get here fast enough. The Skyllian Five they are playing is actually Five Card Omaha. Not sure what I'll do next, maybe Tali/Jack or Jacob/Thane. Still taking requests if you have any so until next time read and review people.**


	8. Stakeout

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**AN: As requested by Zaara the black and Yonis, hope you enjoy it.**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 8: Stakeout**

Steadying his breathing, Thane began to peel away the distractions around him. The dim haze of the red hazard lighting that saturated every corner of the station. The putrid smell of garbage and urine that seemed to bombard your senses no matter where you were, from the upper penthouses to the lowest gutters. The moans and groans of air filters and intake pumps, a rambling lullaby that drifted across the levels, a soundtrack to the weary and desperate.

Omega. It was his least favorite place in the entire galaxy because for him, the darkest corner with the best view was the ideal place to work. But on Omega, it was those places where the demons and the depraved seem to lurk, waiting to snatch some helpless victim and drag them screaming into the night.

It was one such demon that had brought him here, a killer that Samara had been chasing for centuries. Shepard had agreed to be used as live bait and now he waited for them to emerge so that Shepard could lead his quarry back to her lair. A cunning if not dangerous plan.

Looking through his scope, he saw his other teammate, the Justicar Samara hunched behind a pile of refuse, monitoring the front door of the club for Shepard or her criminal.

"We are certain that there is no back entrance to this particular club," Thane asked through his headset.

"Yes," Samara answered, "there are a variety of VIP rooms inside, but this door is the only way in or out of the club itself."

"Would it be possible for her to try and attack Shepard inside the private lounges rather than take him back to her home," Thane said as he tracked a Turian hobbling out of the club.

"This creature enjoys the hunt and the control she can maintain over her prey. She will want privacy so that she can enjoy herself fully. No, she will lead Shepard to her lair and there I will end her," Samara said with conviction.

"If you wish I could eliminate her as soon as they exit the club," Thane said watching the Asari through his scope, "it would be a fairly easy shot from this distance."

"While I do not doubt your skill Thane I must insist that you stay your hand. She is my responsibility, my penance and as such I alone must stop her," Samara said grimly.

"I apologize for my assumptions," Thane said returning to watching the club's door, "normally I do not work with others, acting as part of a team has taken some getting used to."

"No apology is necessary," was Samara's reply through the comm., "the ways of my order are not well known outside of Asari space. Justicar's both work and live in solitude for much of their lives. Explaining my actions to a teammate is something as you say, I am getting used to."

"Indeed," Thane agreed.

The club doors opened and Thane again scoped out the entrance only to see a human female exit and disappear into the crowd at a brisk pace. Not quick enough to draw attention from your average passerby, but enough for the eyes of two veteran professionals.

"She seemed like she was in a hurry," Thane said lowering his rifle.

"I noticed that at well," Samara said returning to her hiding spot, "she looked as though she was worried about being followed."

"A possible deal gone bad," Thane guessed, "or she was merely trying to escape her date."

"If it was the latter than I wish her luck," Samara said as she watched two more Turians limp out of the club.

"Three injured Turians in one night. I cannot believe that this is a coincidence," Thane's voiced echoed through the comm.

"Perhaps Shepard has taken my advice and is building himself up as the alpha male," Samara surmised, "if so it will not be long before he has her attention."

Silence fell between the Drell and Asari as their stakeout continued. Many might have considered it an awkward silence, but for them it was more a comfort. Solitude and reflection was a large part of their lives and had been for some time. It was that reflection that prompted Thane.

"I wonder if I could ask you what you meant by ending this criminal being your penance," Thane said focusing his scope on the Asari once more.

"I suppose that you should be fully aware of the situation given the circumstances," Samara reluctantly admitted. "I have already spoken to Shepard of these matters and I trust that you understand that this is a very personal matter for me."

"I offer nothing but discretion and I assure you that your trust is both well founded and appreciated," Thane said trying to ease her mind.

"The creature we hunt is an ardat-yakshi, a 'demon of the night winds'," Samara explained. "It is a name born from both myth and superstition, before my people had genetics to explain the mysteries of the Asari body. She kills during the mating process by overpowering the nervous system of her partner during the meld we Asari use. During which she gains both knowledge and power in exchange for her partner's life. The euphoria achieved from the act is addictive causing her to seek out new victims."

"You mentioned genetics? I take it that this is a defect among the Asari that is rare?"

"It is only seen if ever in the children of a pureblood joining. It is one of the reasons why such relationships carry a certain taboo within Asari culture as it only appears in the daughters of purebloods."

"I see," Thane said putting the pieces together in his mind, "you feel that each death your daughter causes is your responsibility, that their blood is on your hands."

"It was my blood that afflicted her with her condition, but it was her decision to give into her desires and to destroy rather than live a life of peace. My penance is not for her victims, but for her. I have doomed her to a life of being hunted like an animal, cornered and eventually killed. No, the lives she has destroyed are of her own making, what has become of her life is my own," Samara said solemnly.

"A difficult burden to bear."

"I do not seek pity," Samara said quickly, "that part of my life is over."

"Not pity," Thane explained, "merely understanding. You wish a better life for your daughter, one where your own destiny did not taint hers."

"You sound as if you speak from experience," Samara said turning to the rooftop above her, the shadows keeping their secrets from her eyes.

"My need for revenge nearly cost my son his soul. Had it not been for Shepard, I might have found myself in a situation not so dissimilar to your own. The very thought only raises my respect for you that much higher. If I were in your position, I am uncertain if I would be able to do what was necessary."

"I have had nearly four hundred years to contemplate my actions. Even now, it takes my entire being to push forward and do what I must."

The opening of the club doors drew their attention, a slight intake of breath heard over his comm as Shepard emerged arm in arm with an Asari dressed in black. At first he was taken aback by how closely this killer looked like her mother, a near perfect copy. Only through closer inspection in his scope did the real differences emerge. Where Samara walked with confidence and an air of regality, this one strutted in a sensual slither, hypnotic like fluid movements of a cobra.

The other difference was the eyes. While Samara's gaze held both wisdom and regret, the demon had the look of a wild animal, just barely restrained lust and hunger pitching and boiling just below the surface.

"_Dangerous," _Thane thought as his sights remained focus between those very eyes.

"They are heading for her lair," Samara whispered into the comm, "I will follow behind them."

"I will shadow from the roofs," Thane replied.

"I do not believe she suspects any danger but be prepared in case she flees," Samara said as she watched them slip into the crowd.

"Understood," Thane said watching from above.

Thane watched as the couple and their shadow made their way through the ward, the huntress in black seemingly unaware that she now was the hunted. Collapsing and storing his sniper rifle, he bowed his head as he had countless times before.

"Amonkira. Lord of Hunters. Grant that my hands be steady, my aim be true and my feet swift. And should the worst come to pass, grant us both forgiveness."

And like that, he was gone.

**I always wondered what the third person you bring is doing with themselves the whole time. Well here's the VIP room, I'm just gonna grab a churro real quick, alright lets go get that ardat-yakshi, what do you mean the missions over? I'm getting Kingdoms of Amalur Reckoning tomorrow so dependent on how good or bad it is will determine when the next chapter is up. Until next time read and review people.**


	9. Big Sister is Watching

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**An: As requested by Lowar, hope you enjoy it.**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 9: Big Sister is Watching**

The situation could not have possibly have gotten worse. The ship had been attacked, the crew had been taken. Dr. Chakwas, Ken, Gabby, Kelly all of them gone.

"_All of them in the hands of those…those monsters,"_ Tali thought with a shudder.

When they had first brought Veetor back to the Flotilla, he had been a wreck. All he could mumble was about the monsters and how they would come for him, for all of them. She and the medical staff had just passed it off as stress and the result of a suit infection. Then Shepard had brought her aboard the Collector's ship. She saw the pods, the endless sea of chambers each one made for a human. Then they had found the pile of bodies. It was grizzly, and it had taken every fiber of her will not to vomit inside her suit. And now those things had her friends.

"_Shepard will get them back, I know he will. EDI said that they were all alive when they were taken so…" _Tali thought before her focus shifted.

EDI. The other problem they had. According to Joker she was free now. No chains, no shackles, no protocols standing between them and her whims. Nothing to prevent her from shutting down life support. Nothing to stop her from trying to overload the drive core. Nothing to keep her from cutting artificial gravity, opening the doors and venting them into space other than she didn't feel like it.

"And when the hell did I start calling the damn A.I. _she_," Tali said in irritation as she brought up the drive cores readouts on her terminal.

"My voice synthesizer is based on a human female's vocal pattern," EDI said as her hologram blinked into view at Tali's work station, "it is only logical that you would assign a gender classification to coincide with that association."

"Keelah," Tali shouted jumping away from the terminal and drawing her pistol, aiming it squarely at the blue intruder.

For a moment the silence of the deck seemed to increase tenfold as woman and machine regarded each other.

"I assure you I am unarmed," EDI said calmly with little response from the Quarian, "that is a joke."

"You should work on your sense of humor," Tali said slowly lowering her weapon, "as well as learning not to surprise people or eavesdrop."

"I apologize if my presence startled you. It sounded as if you were asking a question and I was merely providing an answer. As for my eavesdropping, the Normandy is now my body, the sensors and various monitoring devices are now my ears and eyes. It is a new sensation that I am still learning to deal with as is my newfound freedom," EDI explained.

"Well that still doesn't…wait…monitoring devices? You mean here in engineering," Tali asked looking around.

"That is correct. There are currently four devices still active in this room, although you did quite a thorough job of clearing most of them out," EDI said her hologram flickering slightly.

"But I did a security sweep just the other day. I've torn this place apart looking for those things and they're still here," Tali said in disbelief.

"Cerberus spared no expense when it came to the Normandy. These particular devices are both highly experimental as well as expensive. You would need to start cutting holes into the hull in order to dig them out."

"Don't give me any ideas," Tali grumbled as she glared at the hologram still hovering over her station. "If there wasn't anything else besides nearly scaring me out of my suit I have a lot of work to take care of if you don't mind."

"If you require assistance, I am more than capable of helping you in the absence of Ken and Gabby," EDI offered.

"Ken and Gabby huh," Tali snorted.

"It is their names," EDI said, the slightest hint of confusion audible.

"It just seems a little personal for an A.I. is all," Tali said, regretting having let the conversation continue.

"They call me EDI, not Enhanced Defense Intelligence, I was under the impression that informal titles was something that friends used."

"Yes that's true," Tali said crossing her arms, "I just wasn't aware that we're all friends now."

"Some more than others," EDI said much to Tali's discomfort, "but Ken and Gabby have been working with me since the beginning. I consider them as both colleagues and friends. The same could be said for Jeff despite our rocky initial relationship. He trust me with his life as I trust him with mine."

"And why should he trust you? Why should any of us trust you," Tali said finally deciding get everything out in the open.

"If that is the case then why do you trust anyone to begin with? Why trust Shepard for example?"

"Shepard is a person," Tali snapped back in anger, "he has a body, a mind, a soul!"

"The Normandy is my body. The A.I. core is my mind. And as far as my research into the matter, a soul is more a philosophical idea rather than something tangible. I do not see the difference."

"You are a machine!"

"And you are a Quarian. Periodic elements comprise our genetic structure. Electric synapses allow our brains the ability to reason. You posses a heart and I have a drive core. You are concerned for the lives of your friends…am I not allowed to do the same?"

EDI's voice had remained the same calm and even tone it always carried, but to Tali, it was as if Shepard was yelling at her just like in the A.I. core. EDI was right. The only reason for her mistrust and hatred was because EDI was a synthetic, and in her world synthetics were evil. Before, she thought she was justified; now she just thought she was a hypocrite.

Not all Quarians were thieves and beggars. That's what she told Shepard when they were hunting for Saren. She had said the same thing to that pompous Volus on the Citadel a few weeks ago. She could never understand how people like that could say such stupid and nasty things and think that they were right. Now she understood a little better and it made her sick.

"I'm…I'm sorry EDI," Tali said her head low, "I wasn't being fair. I was letting my own prejudices get the better of me."

"I understand your feelings. Your people have been at war with the Geth for centuries. My newfound freedom must be unsettling for you."

"Even so, that isn't an excuse. I've had to deal with a lot of small minded people. I won't be like them," Tali said firmly.

"Perhaps we could start over," EDI said flickering. "My name is EDI, I am the Normandy's artificial intelligence."

"Tali' Zorah vas Normandy nar Rayya," Tali said with a slight bow, "I am the Chief Engineer."

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance; I look forward to working with you and hope that one day we may become friends."

"As do I EDI," Tali said feeling a little better.

"Yes, friendship will definitely soften the blow when we synthetics overthrown the organic regime," EDI said much to Tali's muted horror. "That was a joke."

**I know what I said and this chapter in no way reflects anything bad about Kingdoms of Amalur which is a pretty good game so far. If you like the Elder Scrolls or Fable 2 then you should give it a shot. Video game plug aside, next chapter will be Tali/Jack and then maybe a Thane/Jacob chapter. Got something better in mind? Then leave me a review and a request and I'll see what I can do. Until next time, read and review people.**


	10. Zero Cool

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 10: Zero Cool**

There were very few real pleasures for a person like Jack. And not something as mundane as a drug induced euphoria or a really good fuck. It was simpler for her, like the look on the face of some asshole right before you put a bullet through it or an ice cold beer after a successful hijacking. Or as the case was now, watching some poor boyfriend get bitched out by his girl because he got caught staring at her shit.

She almost would have cracked a smile if not for the Quarian walking next to her. She was her babysitter, her leash, even if Shepard denied it up and down. Couldn't let the convict roam free on the Citadel, that wouldn't be good at all.

Looking over at the Quarian only made Jack scowl worse, why couldn't Massani make sure she didn't cause any trouble? Hell, she probably would have settled for Grunt, not that Shepard would even think of letting them loose together. Instead she got the bitch that was poking around her space and having her little drone shocking her in the ass just a few weeks ago. Sure she was just clearing out Cerberus's garbage, but that still didn't make them friends.

"Where the hell are we going bucket head," Jack grumbled.

"Shepard wants me to look at some upgrades he saw at Saronis Applications," Tali answered ignoring the name. "He doesn't really have an eye for tech and he wants my opinion."

"That's great, so why the fuck am I here," Jack asked trudging along.

"Maybe Shepard thought you could use some fresh air," Tali said shrugging her shoulders, "he doesn't like to send people out by themselves. It was the same way the first time we were together; he always made Liara go with me wherever I went."

"The first time you were together," Jack said smirking, "you mean you and Shepard?"

"Yes…NO…no not like that, when we were hunting Saren," Tali quickly explained, "you know me, Shepard, Garrus, Liara, Ashley ."

"Sounds kinky," Jack said grinning before tilting her head in thought. "Ashley? Was that the bitch we met on Horizon?"

"Well I wasn't there," Tali said her voice taking a darker tone, "but from what I heard from Garrus, yeah that was her. I'd rather not talk about her."

The sudden change in Tali's voice caused Jack to raise an eyebrow. Even when she had a shotgun in her face she didn't sound that angry. It seemed out of place for the Quarian who didn't seem to have an angry bone in her body, despite Jack's skepticism that someone could be that nice all the time.

"_At least I know she has a nerve to strike. This one might have gotten a bit interesting,"_ Jack thought.

Jack's wandering mind nearly caused her to walk right into Tali who had stopped abruptly right before the entrance to Saronis Applications.

"What the hell bucket head," Jack snapped before her attention was drawn to the sprawling form of a Volus as he picked himself off the floor.

"Watch…*hiss*…where you're going…*hiss*…clan less," the Volus sneered checking his pockets.

"You bumped into me. Maybe you should be more careful," Tali said putting a hand on her hip.

"Bah," the Volus said waving her off, "your kind doesn't even belong here…*hiss*…the Citadel is for the respected races of the galaxy…*hiss*…not for thieves and beggars."

"Not all Quarians are thieves and beggars," Tali said pointing at the rotund alien, "just like not all Volus are ignorant, stupid bosh'tets."

The Volus was about to answer back when he paused and took a second look at the Quarian in front of him.

"Wait a minute…*hiss*…I remember you…*hiss*…you were the Quarian with that human a few days ago…*hiss*… the one who found my credit chit."

"I thought your voice sounded familiar," Tali said shaking her head, "it's just my luck to run into the same small minded idiot on a station this big."

"Where's the other human…*hiss*…or did he realize that it wasn't worth being seen with garbage like you."

Now had the Volus not been carrying on, he would have heard a very distinct grinding noise. That noise being the sound of Jack's teeth gritting together. Of all the things that Jack hated in the galaxy, bullies were right at the top. Cerberus were bullies. The people at Teltin had been bullies. The guards at Purgatory had been bullies. At one time, in a dark room, a scared little girl had made a promise not to let the bullies in this galaxy hurt her or anyone else. That little girl was gone, shattered on the rocks of life, leaving Jack to pick up the pieces.

"You're not even worth my…what…wait…stop," came the frightened cry as the Volus was lifted into the air, his body surrounded by biotic energy as Jack held him in front of her glowing fist.

"I don't like you asshole and I'm tired of listening you talk," Jack snarled pulling the Volus forward.

"Jack don't," Tali said stepping towards the two, "he isn't worth it."

"I wasn't asking for your fucking permission sweetness," Jack said not turning her gaze from the struggling alien in her grasp. "I could care less about you. I'm doing it because I don't like this guy's face."

"Please…*hiss*…don't let her do this…*hiss*…help me," the Volus managed to choke out.

"What happened to the big tough guy who was here a second ago," Jack asked with a sick smile, "do I have to crack you open to find him?"

"No…please…*hiss*…I'm sorry…*hiss*...I'm sorry."

"You will be," Jack said grinning before a hand clamped on her arm.

"Please Jack, don't do this," Tali said quietly, "this isn't you."

"What the fuck do you know about me," Jack snapped turning her attention to Tali.

"I was there with you on Pragia remember? You could have shot Aresh but you didn't," Tali said calmly.

"Shepard…Shepard told me not too," Jack said shaking her head.

"No, he gave you a choice. He told you that you didn't need your past to control you. That you didn't need to be the monster they created. You're better than this, you are Jack not Subject Zero," Tali said still holding onto Jack's arm.

For her part, Jack paused to think about that, for a moment, for a lifetime who could tell? Some demons had been laid to rest when she turned that facility to ashes. But there were others that clung to her, their claws were dug deep in her mind. Trust led to betrayal that was the way the galaxy worked. There were no superheroes, no white knights, and no friends who weren't looking to stab you in the back. In a galaxy full of lies, that was the one cold, hard and reliable truth.

But then Shepard comes along with his warm feelings and his good deeds. Doing so much just because he…he was your friend, seeing something in you that you couldn't. To think there was one person out there like that was laughable, but two, that kind of shit just didn't exist right?

Snapping from her trance, she glared at the shaking Volus, his wheezy breath coming out in ragged spurts now.

"What's your name creampuff," Jack hissed.

"Kor…Kor Tun," came the weak reply.

"Well Kor Tun this," Jack said motioning to her side, "is Tali. I want you to remember that name, because that is the name of the Quarian that just saved your life. Now leave."

With that Jack dropped Kor Tun, who tumbled and scrambled to his feet, quickly trying to disappear into the crowd.

"We should leave," Tali said tugging on Jack's arm.

"Why. Nobody saw anything…RIGHT," Jack shouted watching as those that had been bystanders quickly duck their heads and move about their business trying to avoid eye contact.

"_No matter how shiny the toilet, the shit is still the same," _Jack thought smirking.

"Well let's just hurry and look at those upgrades before anything else happens," Tali said as she nervously glanced around for C-sec to show up.

"Yeah whatever," Jack said heading into the shop before turning back to her Quarian companion. "Look Tali, about what you said and stopping me…shit…I'm not good with saying thanks, you know," Jack said as she went into Saronis Applications.

"But you didn't…say thank you," Tali said following behind.

_***chime* I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel.**_

**I went to get a glass of water at one in the morning and this chapter just hit my mind like a freight train. I know C-sec is a little unresponsive to Jack nearly liquefying someone, but between various criminals running free, corrupt politicians, two possible assassinations if you help Garrus and don't help Thane, and the homeland security girl who can't tell Legion from 80's robot, C-sec kind of sucks. Thane/Jacob will be next and after that I'm not sure. I wanna thank everyone who has left a review so far because I do look forward to them. I also went back over the last nine chapters and made them more grammatically correct as I could. As always review and request your ideas and I will do what I can. Until next time read and review people.**


	11. The Pot and the Kettle

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**AN: As requested by Zaara the black, hope you enjoy it.**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 11: The Pot and the Kettle**

It was lunch time aboard the Normandy as Jacob watched the various crew eat and mingle with one another, he himself enjoying his third coffee of the day. He sat apart from most of the crew, who tended to give him his space. Not really out of nervous fear as they did with Miranda, but more out of a respectful courtesy.

Jacob, while approachable, was not much of a talker. He was a strict military man, adhering to discipline and procedure that at times were more lax aboard this Cerberus vessel than an Alliance one. He wasn't unfriendly, but he never really thought superior officers should be too casual with the crew. That kind of behavior might have been seen as favoritism, or the crew might get the idea that he could "let things slide".

An officer should be respected and a little feared. That was what his sergeant had always told him and it was a philosophy he agreed with for the most part. He liked to think of himself as a happy medium to Miranda's cold professionalism and Shepard's big brother mentality, a mentality that he was still trying to get use too. Still, it was hard to argue with Shepard's way of command. The crew adored him and seemed to work harder just to not disappoint him rather than from a fear of reprisal. And despite the few volatile personalities within the ground team, he had managed to keep them in line and working together…for now.

Grunt was willing to behave so far, although he had noticed that he was becoming restless and irritable lately. Jack kept to herself, which he supposed would have to be good enough considering who she was. Massani was in it for money but also revenge, not the most stable oath of loyalty, but at least he was fighting for something. Then there was Krios.

Almost as if thinking of the Drell conjured him from thin air, Thane appeared with an empty lunch tray as he headed to Gardner's station. Jacob's eyes followed him as he made his way through the deck, nodding to the crew members as he passed before depositing his tray in the receptacle and taking a moment to answer a question from the Mess Sergeant.

Jacob continued to eye the Drell as Kelly got a hold of him. Watching as the assassin patiently answered the slew of questions the yeoman pelted him with, his arms behind his back and a neutral expression on his face. For a moment Jacob almost felt sorry for him, Chambers was if nothing else persistent. Eventually a rather dejected looking yeoman was forced to let the Drell go, apparently having gotten little out of the mysterious assassin. Thane remained under Jacob's scrutiny until finally disappearing from view, probably headed back to Life Support.

"_I should probably get back to work too," _Jacob thought as he finished his coffee and headed for the elevator.

Pressing the button for the lift, Jacob couldn't help but stare down the door to what had become Thane's quarters.

"_Of all the people the Illusive Man to suggest, why an assassin? Contract killers don't operate out of loyalty. For all we know he could have been hired to kill Shepard and we just let him stay in the Life Support Room," _Jacob thought continuing to glare at the door.

"Going up sir," a voice said snapping Jacob out of his trance.

Turning, he saw Kelly standing in the elevator holding the door, a somewhat perplexed look on her face.

"Sorry, my mind was someplace else," Jacob said stepping onto the lift, "thanks for holding the door Chambers."

"Not a problem sir," Kelly said with a small smile. "Was there something you wanted to speak to Thane about," she pried.

"No."

"Oh…it just seemed…"

"Just mulling a few things over Yeoman… that's all," Jacob said in a tone indicating that the conversation was over.

"Of course sir," Kelly said as the doors opened.

Jacob watched Kelly head to her terminal and let a quiet sigh escape him as he walked towards the armory. He didn't want to be rude, but sometimes she just kept pushing and he was definitely not in the mood to be poked and prodded. Nothing against the girl, but aside from mercs and assassins, shrinks were right up there on his list of people he didn't trust.

The doors to the armory opened greeting Jacob to the sight of Thane testing the weight of a Carnifex Hand Cannon.

"Can I help you," Jacob asked crossing his arms.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Thane said placing the weapon back on the table and adjusting his coat. "I felt that perhaps we could clear the air so to speak."

"Didn't realize we needed to," Jacob said walking to his work bench.

"Neither did I. But after a week of being watched going to and from the mess hall, one starts to think that there may be an underlying hint of hostility."

"Saw that did you," Jacob asked, his calm tone masking genuine surprise.

"My training under the Hanar allows me to perceive even the slightest of details. That coupled with my species own unique memory recollection affords me a more precise view of the galaxy. Suffice to say, I see a lot of things."

"So what exactly do you want," Jacob asked, cautious of exactly where this conversation was going.

"As I said, I felt we needed to clear the air between us. When I first arrived on this ship you were apprehensive of having someone of my profession join your team."

"As I said, I'm not a fan of mercenaries or assassins. People loyal until the credits run out or until they get a better offer are not the kind of people I like watching my back."

"A concern which is moot considering I've lent Shepard my services for free."

"The _concern _is whether or not you're here to help Shepard at all," Jacob said bristling, "you let Shepard and his team barrel through a building full of mercs just to use them as a distraction. Who's to say you wouldn't offer your services for free just to get close to your mark?"

Thane took a moment to regard those words, his face giving away nothing except neutral contemplation.

"I see. This is not merely distrust in mercenaries," Thane said putting his hands behind his back, "this is distrust in me."

"Don't flatter yourself," Jacob snorted, "there's an entire deck of people on this ship I don't exactly trust. But each of them wants something, revenge, information, or just the next bigger and badder opponent to cut their teeth on."

"And yet Shepard trusts them all despite any signs that he shouldn't. The same trust he extends to you despite what others may think."

"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

"You work for an organization that many humans and nonhumans alike see as xenophobic terrorists. An organization whose morality is at best ambiguous and at worst nonexistent. An organization that has come into conflict with Shepard on more than one occasion if the extranet is to be believed. He should for all intents and purposes not trust you or those you work for."

"I doubt that Shepard really trusts the Illusive Man or Cerberus," Jacob said smirking remembering Shepard's first talk with his boss.

"But he does place his trust in you," Thane said gesturing to Jacob, "because he sees beyond the Cerberus operative. He sees the man trying to help people."

"And what do you see," Jacob asked unsure if he wanted an answer.

"I see someone who is trying to make the galaxy a brighter place, but in doing so, knows that they had to do what was necessary, more than what was right. I see myself," Thane said candidly.

"Do you have any regrets," Jacob asked quietly.

"At the end of my life, it seems that regret is all that I have."

"Guess we're not so different after all."

"Indeed."

**Despite telling myself I wasn't going to play it, I got the ME3 demo and now the only way I could want this game more is if the case was made out of chocolate. As of right now I have three more chapters planned. One with Tali, the finale and the epilogue. As always if you have an idea, review and request and I'll see what I can do. Until next time read and review people.**


	12. In Your Dreams

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 12: In Your Dreams**

The quiet hum of the elevator motor as it made its accent to Shepard's cabin was of little comfort to the young Quarian as she nervously bounced on her toes. She was anxious, terrified on some levels if she was honest with herself. There was the physical danger of course. Realistically, she could die from the exposure. It was a risk she had hoped to minimize with the use of supplements and boosters, but a risk nonetheless. Oddly enough, it wasn't the fear of death that gave her pause. She had been in life threatening situations before and had come to accept the inevitability of her own mortality. No, what she feared was far worse and far more terrible…rejection.

She had been content with what their relationship had been. He was her friend, a comrade in arms and she had believed that that could be enough. Only in the darkest and loneliest of times had her mind ever dared to dream, to hope. It was silly of course. He was a hero, an icon, a man who could have any woman he wanted. She was just his friend and she had been content to remain only that.

But then that damn fever had her babbling like an idiot revealing things she never thought she would have the courage to say aloud. For a moment she was terrified. Terrified that he would just walk away or even worse laugh at her and her silly little crush. But he didn't…he just…smiled. Smiled and said he felt the same.

She wasn't sure how to react. She wanted to cry, to laugh, to jump up and down and shout to the heavens. All her body and mind could manage was to sputter nervously and nod her head while continuing to babble about getting back to work. Afterwards she felt like a fool, Shepard just chuckled and told her that it was the cutest thing he had ever seen. It was one of the many reasons why she loved the man, that amazing ability to make her feel special, to feel loved.

The elevator came to a halt and opened, revealing the small foyer that led to Shepard's door. Stepping out, Tali froze as her insecurities began to get the better of her.

"_What if he changed his mind? What if he thinks I'm ugly? What if…what if I'm not good enough for him," _Tali woefully thought to herself.

It was a doubt that had been plaguing her for some time, a voice that whispered to her in the back of her mind. She wasn't ignorant of the looks Shepard received from Miranda, Kelly or even Jack. Shepard could be with anyone he wanted and yet he chose her. Sometimes she didn't want to believe it, as if giving her just a little bit of hope would be more cruel than flat out rejection.

"_But he did choose you," _Tali told herself, her resolve hardening. Taking a deep breath, she opened the cabin door and stepped inside, insecurities be damned.

"Shepard I…Shepard? Hello," Tali called out into a dimly lit room, the faint blue glow of the fish tanks the only light in the cabin.

From where she stood she could see that he wasn't in the office or his bed. Peering around the corner, she saw that the couches were also empty.

"Where is he," Tali asked no one in particular.

"Commander Shepard is currently in engineering," EDI said popping into view.

"Thank you EDI," Tali said giving the hologram a cross look before quickly getting back on the elevator.

"_He must have gone down there looking for me. I knew I should have called him to let him know I was coming up," _Tali said scolding herself.

The elevator doors opened and Tali made her way to engineering at a brisk pace, the earlier hesitation now replaced with anticipation and need. Stepping into engineering, her eyes scanned the room and saw Shepard walking into the alcove that stood in front of the drive core. She followed after him but only took a few steps before coming to a screeching halt. Shepard was there but he was not alone.

The soft brown hair and skintight white outfit was more than enough to tell who exactly Shepard had his arms around. It felt as if Tali had just been hit by a bucket of ice water as she watched Shepard hands caress the curves of Miranda's body as his lips intertwined with the Cerberus lieutenants. She watched as an ungloved hand ran its way through his hair, Miranda's face nuzzling his neck as she pulled him closer.

Miranda's eyes opened catching a still frozen Tali watching them. At first her face held a bit of surprise, before it twisted into a sickening and victorious smirk. A smirk that remained as she began to kiss along Shepard's neck.

"_I have to get out of here," _Tali mentally screamed as she stumbled for the doors.

She made it into the hallway and gripped the railing to keep her steady. She was trying to breath and a mild panic took over when her vision began to blur. It was only after she blink that she realized it was because she was crying.

"_Calm down," _Tali mentally commanded, _"you knew that this could happen. It's…it's better this way," _Tali thought clutching at her chest_. "he deserves…to be happy. But you…have to breath…get…a hold…and breath," _was the last thought Tali had as her vision clouded and she collapsed to the floor.

"KEELAH," Tali shouted as she jumped in her sleeping pod nearly smashing her head against the glass. It took a moment for her senses to alert her brain to where she was and what was happening as her head snapped back and forth trying to get her bearings.

"It was a dream," Tali said breathing deeply, "a terrifying horrible dream."

Any hope for sleep was lost so she opted to open the pod and stretch her legs. She could probably head down to engineering and catch up on some work. That at least would soothe her nerves. Making her way to the elevator, she heard the sound of someone rustling through the kitchen area, a familiar string of curses leaving little guess as to whom it was.

Stepping into the galley area, Tali was greeted to the sight of nearly every cabinet door open, with Jack poking her head into one of the storage closets.

"What are you doing Jack," Tali whispered as quietly as she could.

"What the fuck does it look like Tali," Jack whispered back, relaxing her body after being startled, "I'm getting something to eat."

"Why are we whispering," a voice said behind them.

Both Tali and Jack turned to see Kasumi sitting on the counter smiling with a bag of cookies in her hands.

"I swear one of these days bitch," Jack snarled shoving a glowing fist in the thief's face.

"I know, bang zoom," Kasumi mock yawned, "cookie?"

Jack looked as if she wanted to say something but figured that aside from splattering the woman across the walls she wasn't going to win this. She ended up settling for an angry glare as she fished a handful of cookies from the open bag.

"See, chocolate chips make everything better," Kasumi said grinning.

"So besides messing with Jack, why are you up so late," Tali said leaning against a counter.

"In my line of work you sometimes keep weird hours," Kasumi said shrugging, "also the idea of visiting a dead Reaper isn't exactly what lulls me to sleep. What about you? I know Miss Antisocial likes to feed after midnight," Kasumi said motioning to Jack who merely gave her the finger as she raided the fridge, "but why are you up?"

"I…I couldn't sleep," Tali said rubbing her hands together.

"Something bothering you," Kasumi pried.

"Yes…no…I don't know," Tali said shaking her head. "It's just…do you guys…do you guys think I'm pretty?"

Tali wanted to shrivel up and die as both Kasumi and Jack did a double take and were staring at her with unyielding confusion.

"What the fuck," Jack said summing it up as only she could.

"Well…I mean…do you think _Shepard_ thinks I'm pretty," Tali asked looking like she was about to rub the suit off her hands. "I know he doesn't care about that but I just...I just worry."

"So that's what this is about," Kasumi said grinning; Tali instinctively stepping back at the look in the thief's eyes. "Kelly mentioned something was going on between you two."

"Kelly? How does Kelly know," Tali said bewildered.

"Ken and Gabby," Kasumi said leaning back. "They said that you and Shepard have been getting awfully close down in engineering. They might have 'accidentally' overheard you're conversation and let it slip at dinner."

"And now that Kelly knows," Tali said in dismay.

"So does the rest of the galaxy," Kasumi said laughing.

"Yeah, yeah Cerberus bitch has a big mouth," Jack said popping a beer, "so what makes you think that Shepard won't like what he sees?"

"Well, it's just that I'm in this suit all the time. He can't see my face and he has no idea what my body looks like."

"I'm sure he can guess. It's not like you're wearing a poncho, that suit is pretty skintight," Kasumi said still chuckling.

"Shepard doesn't care about that," Tali said flushed.

"Bullshit, men are men. No matter how nice or noble or kind they act deep down they're all the same," Jack said rolling her eyes.

"Not Shepard," Tali quickly said.

"Oh yeah," Jack sneered. "When he comes down to chit chat, what door does he use to enter engineering? The one behind the Cerberus twins or the one behind your station?"

"The one behind my station, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Do you know why," Kasumi ask smirking.

"No," Tali huffed.

"It's so he can check out your ass," Jack said laughing.

Tali for her part felt like the inside of her suit was a thousand degrees.

"_He wouldn't do that would he? Does he really look at me that way," _Tali thought as her mind wandered.

"I think we lost her," Kasumi said waving a hand in front of Tali's mask.

"I got it," Jack said flicking her finger against the glass of the faceplate which seemed to grab her focus again.

"He…he thinks of me like that," Tali asked feeling overjoyed.

"He's a guy. He doesn't know any other way to think," Jack said rolling her eyes.

"But he does care about you," Kasumi added, "you don't have to doubt that."

"I didn't want to. But are you two sure," Tali said looking at the two.

"Of course, we're your friends, we wouldn't lie to you," Jack said annoyed as both Kasumi and Tali stared at her in shock. "What?"

"Do you really mean that? Am I really your friend?"

"Shit," Jack said cursing herself for letting that slip. Though she loathe to admit it, she had come to trust Tali without a second thought. She knew it was stupid and sloppy, but for once in her life, she felt as if there wouldn't be a knife in the back for her trouble.

"Yes Tali," Jack sighed, "you're my friend. Anyone fucks with you, they have to deal with me."

"I knew you'd come around," Tali said enveloping Jack in a hug.

"Okay," Jack said struggling, "let's not push it."

"Oh you guys are so sweet…GROUP HUG," Kasumi said grabbing them both.

"FUCK," Jack yelled sitting up in her cot, a cold sweat on her brow. The convict's eyes darted around quickly analyzing where she was and what was going on. She was in her hole, check. She wasn't gushing her feelings and sharing a moment, check.

Her head was pounding, more so than usually and the funny taste in her mouth was also unnecessary.

"_Note to self, never let that bitch talk you into drinking that purple shit in her room ever again," _Jack thought as she kicked her bowl from dinner away from her. _"And never eat that assholes gumbo at one in the morning. Shit fucks with your head."_

**Two dream fake outs in one chapter? What are the odds? Two chapters left for this story, and soon, soon I will have my precious. Until then read and review people.**


	13. The Dirty Dozen

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Episode 13: The Dirty Dozen**

"Let's go finish this," Miranda said turning to Shepard, who nodded as Tali began to activate the platform.

The rest of the ground team had begun to check their weapons after Shepard's speech, preparing for whatever was about to come through that door. All but one who had been debating with herself if she should say something to the two people she could even call friend before they headed into the squints. It was stupid and weak, but eventually reason was abandoned for madness.

"Hey," Jack shouted getting not only the attention of the two on the platform but everyone.

Jack realized quickly the situation she was now in. It didn't seem like such a big deal before, but with all eyes on her, she baulked at the idea of saying what she had intended. She had wanted to tell them what they meant to her. What they had done for her whether they knew it or not. That they had saved her from herself, that they had given her hope. She wanted to tell them so much, but not today.

"You two…watch your asses out there," Jack said awkwardly garnishing either curious looks or a few nods of agreement. _"You are such a chicken shit fucking coward," _Jack thought scolding herself, _"now they're looking at me, need to salvage this."_

"Oh and cheerleader…"

"Yes," Miranda asked quirking an eyebrow.

"Fuck you," Jack said smirking.

"Charming," Miranda snorted rolling her eyes as the platform pulled away.

Jack headed towards the barricades leaving those who had been watching puzzeled as to what had gotten into the convict.

"What the hell was that about," Garrus asked Zaeed as he watched Jack stomp off.

"Fuck if I know," Zaeed said shaking his head, "probably how the crazy bitch says good luck."

"Bah, human females are frustrating to comprehend," Grunt said lumbering over, "I don't know how your kind understands them."

"We don't," Zaeed said laughing, "but the second we do I'll let you know pup."

"Something you wanted Grunt," Garrus asked as the Krogan paced back and forth in agitation.

"Orders," he said turning to face the Turian.

"Orders huh? Didn't know that Shepard had left me in charge," Garrus said smirking.

"You lead our team down into this pit, it's only right that you lead our defense of it," Grunt said with a nod.

"Taking orders from a Turian three times in a day? That doesn't seem very Krogan," Garrus teased.

"You're part of Shepard's krantt, my krantt. My battle master has deemed you worthy of command. I do not dare challenge his judgment," Grunt said seriously.

"Well I…thanks Grunt," Garrus said surprised.

"Don't read too much into it Garrus. If not for Shepard, you would be no different to me than any Turian," Grunt snorted.

"And what is that?"

"Dead," Grunt said grinning.

"I guess I can live with that," Garrus said sighing, "although I'll have to let the other Turian's know at the next meeting."

"Yeah I guess you…wait…you guys have meetings," Grunt asked confused.

"It's a joke Grunt," Garrus said trying not to grin.

"The tank doesn't mention Turian's joking," Grunt said in all seriousness.

"Yeah, we're only allowed to if you get a special permit. But don't worry about that, I'll give out assignments in a minute, just get ready to shoot."

"Oh…okay," Grunt said heading off mumbling about joke permits.

"Don't fuck with him like that," Zaeed said slapping Garrus's arm, "you know how he is."

"What? I can't have a little fun before we face insurmountable odds," Garrus said shrugging.

Looking around, he began to think of line formations in his head, where to place people and how best to use their strengths. For now though, he would give them a few more minutes to prepare and in some cases say their peace.

"Arashu, Goddess of Protection, grant that my mind be focused, my body protected and my spirit cleansed. And should the worst come to pass, grant me the peace of Kalahira's oceans."

It was the mantra that Thane had begun to say since Shepard had departed. Normally he would have prayed to Amonkira, but he was aware of the severity of the situation they were in. Shepard had seemingly accomplished the impossible by leading them here, but there was still much to be done and no guarantee yet that they would leave unscathed. Thoughts of Shepard interrupted his prayers as he considered the man who in a short time had become someone who he could trust with his life. Up until now that list had included but one and she had passed on for some time.

Looking around, it might have seemed strange to find so many different individuals joined together by a common goal, or more accurately, a single man. It spoke volumes to the kind of charisma Shepard possessed where bitter enemies and rivals could stand side by side for him. Through him they had become more than a collection of warriors, rogues and soldiers, they had become a team, a band of brothers.

Thane's musings were interrupted by a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head as he turned to find Jacob behind him.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting," Jacob said with a small smile on his face, "but if it isn't too much trouble…do you think you could put in a good word for me?"

"Of course," Thane said with a nod, a ghost of smile on his own lips.

Kasumi who had been watching from across the way couldn't help but smile as she checked her Locust one last time.

"I'm glad those two finally buried the hatchet," Kasumi said as she slid her gun onto her back.

"Yes," Samara said taking a few deep breaths, "working with Shepard has a way of shattering preconceived notions."

"Will you be okay," Kasumi asked concerned, "that trip through the seeker swarms seems to have taken a lot out of you."

"I will be fine," Samara assured her, "though I exerted quite a bit of energy, I am more than ready for what lies ahead."

"That's good, I didn't want to have to carry you out of here when we leave," the thief said grinning.

"You're optimism is refreshing, it is one of the many things I find fascinating about your species."

"We have Shepard and each other; how can I not be optimistic?"

"While your faith in Shepard is well founded, I know that our odds of survival are still small. With Mordin extracting the crew and Shepard and his team gone, that leaves only nine of us. We may find ourselves vastly outnumber with no hope of escape."

"You don't seem very worried about that."

"I had come to grips with my own mortality a lifetime ago. My greatest concern since then was living by the code and trying to do what was right. At times it seemed that those goals were opposed to one another as I have had to do terrible things in the name of the code. For four hundred years I have fought for justice and to protect the innocent. If I were to fall here, then I will have died with honor."

"My people have an old saying. 'The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour'. I never really gave it much thought when my grandmother used to lecture me with it, but I think I understand it better now."

"It never ceases to amaze me the wisdom such a young species as yours possesses."

"You're not too bad yourself," Kasumi said grinning, "I'm glad we became friends."

"I am grateful as well," Samara said with a small smile, "if this is the end, I'm glad I am not alone."

"Hey none of that. We'll be…"

"Warning! Vakarian-Officer, we have detected three dozen life signs gathered outside the doors. Our firewalls on the control panels will be bypassed shortly. Estimated time of breach…three minutes," Legion blared.

"Alright people this is it," Garrus shouted, "I want Jack, Jacob and Samara spread across our formation. Jacob take the left, Samara the center and Jack the right. Anything walks through that door, you hit them with biotics. The rest of us will pair up and back up one of them. Grunt and Kasumi, you're with Jack. Thane and Zaeed are with Jacob, Legion you're with me and Samara."

The orders were acknowledge through nods, a roar and one affirmative as everyone got into position. Garrus unfolded his sniper rifle, taking a moment to look over the names carved into it.

"_No more names…not today," _Garrus told himself as the doors lurched open.

**No time for pleasantries, got to get the last chapter written, read and review people.**


	14. Epilogue: Eye of the Hurricane

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mass Effect**

**Mass Fiction**

**Epilogue: Eye of the Hurricane**

The ship was a mess. She hadn't really taken the time to inspect the damage as they had a mission and it wasn't a guarantee that they would even be coming back. Now she had a logistical nightmare on her hands with no less than six hull breaches, four auxiliary systems down and main power at only forty percent.

The couplings Shepard had bought on Omega were fried and a broken regulator had the power grid fluctuating on a whim. Still, she should have been grateful for being alive to complain about all this. They had all made it, the crew, the ground team, even Shepard's hamster. Despite it being labeled a suicide mission, they had all come out relatively unscathed.

Ken and Gaby were both shaken up a little but seemed to be keeping their minds occupied with work. The one thing she also noticed was that they were standing a little closer together now, something she was sure Kasumi would love to hear.

"I've stabilized the energy flow for now," Tali said closing her work station, "if it acts up again just call me and I'll be back down. I'm going to go see if I can get power back on in Shepard's quarters."

"Don't worry about it ma'am, me and Gabby got it under control. You just do whatever you need to in Shepard's…ouch…dammit woman I didn't even say anything that time," Ken growled in frustration.

"Yeah but you were thinking it you perv," Gabby said poking Ken in the ribs.

"I'm not even safe in my own mind," Ken moaned, "what's a man to do?"

Tali shook her head, giggling at Ken's misfortune as she headed out the door. Stepping out into the hallway, she was greeted by the sight of Garrus, Zaeed, Jacob and Kelly standing by the windows overlooking the hanger.

"What is everyone doing here," Tali said tilting her head.

"We're watching Miranda and Jack fighting," Garrus said not looking back.

"What," Tali yelled pushing the Turian out of the way.

Sure enough, she could see Jack and Miranda in the center of the wrecked hanger trading biotic shots back and forth.

"Keelah, look at the mess their making. Isn't anyone going to stop them?"

"If you think any of us is going to get in the middle of that your fucking crazy girl," Zaeed chuckled.

"Don't worry so much Tali," Garrus said patting her on the shoulder, "those two need to get it out of their system. If it gets too rough we'll break it up. Right now it's nothing but a friendly spar," Garrus explained as a support beam went crashing into a wall below them.

"This hardly constitutes a spar," Jacob said shaking his head, "although I do agree that this might be good for those two."

"Although I don't approve of this either Tali, I have to agree that letting them clear the air might improve their relationship since we aren't with Cerberus anymore," Kelly said wincing at the sound of scraping metal.

"What would Shepard say about this," Tali said crossing her arms.

"He'd probably say that a certain Turian has some explaining to do," a voice said from behind them.

"Shepard," Tali asked spinning around.

"What's the matter Tali," Shepard said grinning, "you act like you never heard me speak before."

"No I…it's just…Miranda and Jack are destroying the cargo hold," Tali said pointing at the fight.

"Yeah, EDI mentioned that on my way down. Well Garrus, I take it this whole spar was your idea," Shepard said smirking.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Garrus said shrugging, "besides the Oculus pretty much destroyed the cargo hold anyway."

"So who's winning," Shepard said looking over the hold.

"Shepard!"

"Jack is more powerful, but Miranda is the smarter fighter," Jacob said smirking, "pretty much a draw at this point."

"In that case we should probably call it just that. Go break it up Garrus."

"Couldn't we wait for them to tire a bit? I had hoped they would wear each other out before getting in the middle," Garrus said nervously.

"And I had hoped not to have any new holes in the hull so it's not looking good for either of us," Shepard said motioning towards the elevator.

"On my way," Garrus sighed.

"Ah well that was fun," Zaeed said stretching. "Although it would have been better if someone's top had gotten ripped off," the old merc said heading back to his room, ignoring the looks from both Kelly and Jacob.

"Commander," both Jacob and Kelly said with a salute before they went back to the CIC.

"Thank you Shepard," Tali said as she watched Garrus approach the two biotics.

"It's my job," Shepard said wrapping an arm around the Quarian. "Besides, I can't have my girlfriend fixing holes and sub systems all day. She needs her rest and relaxation."

"Somehow I doubt I'll be getting any rest with you around," Tali said before covering her mouthpiece in embarrassment. "Oh keelah, I can't believe I just said that."

"You've been working with Ken for too long. Maybe you should take a break up in the captain's quarters," Shepard said grinning.

"Maybe I should," Tali purred, "although that deck still doesn't have power or lights."

"I'm sure we could work around that," Shepard said pulling her closer.

"I'm sure we could," she said resting her head on Shepard's chest, her heart fluttering in the moment.

A moment soon ruined by the sight of a Turian in blue armor being flung across the room and crashing into some storage containers.

"Maybe you should have sent Samara with him," Tali deadpanned.

"I know, but this is funnier," Shepard said chuckling.

"I wish things could stay like this forever," Tali sighed, "no Reapers or Collectors or Cerberus, just us."

"I feel the same way, but the Reapers are still out there and they won't wait for us. But no matter what happens, I'll always be there for you. I love you Miss Vas Normandy."

"And I love you Mister Vas Normandy."

And for a time, all was right in the galaxy.

THE END…for now.

**And there you have it people, the end to my look into the Normandy SR2. Perhaps a new story awaits on the Normandy SR3 only time will tell. I want to thank everyone for their reviews and requests, especially Yonis, Zaara the black, Lowar, Justanotherguy, and all the others who have been there since the beginning. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go wait on line, until next time read and review people.**


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